Poison Never Hurt So Good
by forlorn-devotion6
Summary: Ayame Hirano has lost all her faith and respect in men. But it was lost in the worst of ways to the worst of people: her father. HikaruxOCxKaoru, One-sided KyouyaxOC
1. Routine

**New story!! :D I was playing with the idea of this story for a while, but then I decided that I would just give it a shot! ^^ But one thing that I need from you, my readers, is to tell me if I should change the rating to M... All will make sense at the end of this chapter. So, enjoy...and please review and favorite! They motivate me so, so much! Also, any ideas or constructive criticism are always accepted.**

_Disclaimer: Oohh boy, this thing? Okay...I do not own Ouran High School Host Club... I do, however, own my OCs and this plot. Ish MINEE!!! ...Well, kinda. For the plot, I got the idea from Danielle Steel's Malice. Good novel...you all should read it xD_

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Ayame Hirano didn't look up from her dinner plate. She, honestly, didn't even know what food was in front of her face; her mind was completely elsewhere. Her black-streaked brown hair bangs covered her emerald green eyes that slowly were fading in vision.

She still wore the black short-sleeved dress from that afternoon. Ayame figured that it was now the closest thing that will forever remind her of her mother. Looking down, she noticed that the hem of the dress lay at her mid-thigh. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she sat up for a brief moment and pull the dress back down to just above her knees.

Her attention was brought back when she heard her father all the way from across the table, "Aya-chan?" Ayame cringed and lifted her head to look at her father. The table was very long and rectangular, and they both sat on the smaller opposite ends, making a lot of space between them.

Ayame cleared her throat, "Y-Yes…otou-san…?" He smiled as he stared at his daughter longingly, "You must be tired after today. You should get up to your room and get some sleep. Especially since you start at Ouran tomorrow."

It was more of a command than a suggestion. Ayame grimaced at that idea, "N-No... It's only 8 anyway. I could just…gather my supplies." As if on cue, a maid came in and took Ayame's plate from in front of her, and then scurried away.

She stood up from her seat, excusing herself, and then started for the stairwell that led to her room. Before she exited the dining room, she heard her father call out, "Oh, and Aya-chan?" Ayame gulped and turned her body around, "Yes Father…?"

Ryoma Hirano stood up from his seat and then made his way over to Ayame. He was directly in front of her as he brought one of his hands to her hair and then took some strands of her mid-back lengthed hair and smiled lovingly, "Keep your door unlocked."

He turned the other way and exited the room and Ayame stared in disbelief; tonight?! Of all damn nights?! She started getting angry and went to punch the wall next to her, but then took a deep breath and leaned a hand on the wall instead.

Half an hour later, Ayame's bag was ready for her first day at Ouran Private School the next day. She laid out the uniform she was to wear; a poofy yellow dress with long sleeves and fitted around the neck, white stockings, and black loafers. She frowned at the outfit; certainly not her style, but she would make due.

She went over to her balcony and leaned her arms on the railing and stared out at the night sky and October moon. A few lights from neighboring mansions were starting to go out one by one.

Such a routine, thought Ayame.

But tomorrow…she would attending a coed school…both girls AND boys. Her previous school, St. Lobelia, was an all girls' school. She had hated that place with a burning passion, but it kept her away from the dreaded male species…

So why was she going to Ouran? Well, her mother, Yuna, had always wanted her daughter to go to Ouran; it was where she went. But Ayame was six years old and already ruined for life. It was during that year she came to fear and hate males, and Yuna understood and accepted her decision to go to an all girls' school.

And now that her mother was gone, Ayame wanted to do her mother one last favor; go to Ouran as she had wished. She wouldn't like it…at all…but it was for her mother.

Everything she did was for her mother.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by and Ayame shivered and rubbed her arms to produce heat. So, she went back into her room, shut the balcony doors, and decided to get dressed for bed. She picked out a black tanktop and blue and orange plaid baggy sleeping pants.

Ayame slid her black dress over her head and threw it over into her laundry basket.

But before she could reach for her tanktop, her door opened to reveal her father, now wearing no shirt and the black pants from his suit that he wore that afternoon. Ayame stood erect in her black bra and panties, but didn't even bother covering herself up.

Instead, she reached over to her bed and grabbed her tanktop and mumbled as she put it on, "I'm tried Father…" Ryoma smiled as he stared at Ayame with love, "I understand Aya-chan…but…your mother…" Ayame cut him off as she turned her body to face him, "Okaa-san is dead…! She's…not here anymore, so I shouldn't…" He cut her off abruptly right back, "Exactly sweetie, exactly! Your mother's not here anymore…we don't have to hold back anymore…"

He advanced towards her and with each step, Ayame stepped back away from him. She wouldn't have it; she would not let this happen ever again…

Ever since Ayame was six, she endured at least twice a week. It was when she was six that Yuna got diagnosed with cancer.

Yuna was sick all the time, even before she was diagnosed. She grew up in a commoner family, but hit the jackpot when she met and fell in love with Ryoma Hirano.

He belonged to the Hirano family, partners with the Ootori family in medicine, and also had a branch of successful lawyers. Needless to say, the Hirano's were filthy rich.

Regardless, Ryoma and Yuna fell in love and got married. They had Ayame and both loved her very much. Even as a young toddler, Ayame was beyond beautiful. Everything from her facial features to her figure was flawless and everybody loved her. Ryoma, Yuna, and Ayame…a happy family without a care in the world.

It was when she was six, however, that things began to change. Yuna was diagnosed and was bed-ridden for a long while.

As a man, Ryoma had needs, but Yuna was too tired and sick to give her husband what he wanted.

But Ayame…

Yuna was dreadfully against the whole idea when her husband so shamelessly brought up the idea of getting his wantings from their own daughter, but Ryoma was a charmer and Yuna was unconditionally in love with him…

The first time, Ayame was confused and didn't fight back. She knew there something wrong in what was occurring, but didn't really question it. Years went by and Ayame matured…in many ways. She bloomed earlier than other eleven year olds in both mind and body.

Ayame was a book worm and loved to each anything, mostly about romance or tragedies. One day, she stumbled upon a book that described her situation all to well.

It was then it dawned on her: what was going on between her and her father was wrong. Very, very wrong.

That same night, Ayame fought back for the first time.

It was also the first time Ryoma hit her…hard, leaving a huge bruise on her face.

After that, Ayame ran to her mother crying and begged to make her stop her father. Yuna only sobbed silently and begged right back to her daughter; begged for her to continue, not only for her father, but for her as well.

Ayame hated her father for what he did to her, but only continued for her mother… For years, she fought back, desperately trying to make him stop, but was only punished for her resisting…

She hated all males after that as well; all the men that she read about in her romance novels were all fake and did not exist. Nobody would be able to save her from the dragon that kept her prisoner; nobody… All men were the same as her father: evil, sadistic, and manipulative.

Ryoma continued towards Ayame until her legs hit her bed and caused her to sit down. He towered over her and rested his hands on her shoulders, "Don't be afraid anymore Aya-chan… Nobody will disturb us anymore…"

Suddenly, in one swift movement, he gripped onto her shoulder straps of her tanktop, and ribbed it right into two. As he pulled it off her body, Ayame's eyes grew wide as she thought, "What the hell is he thinking…?!" She was now back in only her bra and panties, and she was slowly becoming restless.

He stared at his daughter's perfect body, now in lust and wanting, and placed his hands back on her shoulders and massaged her softly, "You truly are beautiful Aya-chan...and you're all mine…" He began leaning in towards her, but then her eyes clamped shut and she stammered out as tears were forming, "M-Mom's dead…! She just died yesterday and you're just going to act like…!"

She was cut off by her father pressing his lips onto hers harshly. Ayame's eyes shot open in shock and tears starting to flow out of her eyes, but she was silent. Nothing got any better as he shoved his tongue into her mouth and explored every area of it.

Ayame grimaced; he tasted terrible as always; nothing like what was described in her novels…which she could never stop herself from reading. The books always described a kiss as something magical, something sweet, something one would treasure always.

Well, Ayame could tell you that this was nothing like that. Of course, this was all she has ever experienced in intimacy…but then again, no wonder her view on men is so degrading.

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**Now you see the reason for my skeptic-ness on the rating... ^^'' I was gonna continue this scene more indepth, but then I decided that I'd get some feedback on it first! Sooo...review, favorite, and share your ideas pleaseee! I NEEDS MOTIVATION! :)**


	2. Hate

**Just finished this chapter like...5 minutes ago and since I had nothing better to do, I decided to update! ^^ I'm so, so happy that this story has gotten more view in 2 days than my others stories had in 2 weeks! xD And it was because of the alerts and reviews that I finished this chapter so early so thanks to thsoe who did so! *cookies for you!***

**So, this chapter is more of a...leading up chapter... I initially thought that the Host Club would be the core, but then I decided against it... Ah well, let's begin! As always, enjoy, review, favorite, whatever! It will make me happyyyy :)**

_Disclaimer: I do nott own Ouran High School Host Club... I only own my OCs ^-^_

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Ayame slowly got dressed into her school uniform with a blank look on her face. She didn't want to go to Ouran today; what she really wanted to do was take another shower.

Of course, since last night, she's already taken 5. The easy access bathroom in her room allowed her to do so. She didn't have to travel the mansion, past her father's study, to get to the other bathroom.

However, this was nothing new. On average, Ayame takes 4 showers a day, just to get the disgusting feeling of _him_ off of her body.

No amount of toothpaste and mouthwash will remove his traces from her mouth.

Her father was a part of her…and she hated that.

It was now 6.50 and had to be at Ouran in 10 minutes, since school started at about 7.10. So, Ayame looked at herself in her full-length mirror, smoothed out the yucky yellow dress that she was slowly beginning to hate with a passion, grabbed her black messenger bag, and left her room.

She went down to the kitchen to grab a blueberry muffin, but then, unfortunately, crossed paths with her father in the dining room. He sat at the table, sipping at his coffee as he read the paper. But when he heard Ayame enter the room, he rested the paper down and smiled at her, "Aya-chan, ohayo." He stopped, expecting her to respond. Ayame growled internally but continued on her path to the kitchen as she mumbled, "Ohayo otou-san…"

Before she left the room, her father called out, "Oh yeah, Aya-chan?" She stopped walking and rolled her eyes before turning around to face him. She didn't speak so he continued, "I'll be getting home late tonight. I have a meeting with Ootori-san, so I should be back by 1 AM. I expect that you'll be ready by then?"

Ayame almost dared herself to ask him 'Be ready for what?', but she bit her tongue when she realized exactly what. Still, she didn't respond, so she just turned on her heels and entered the kitchen. The maids and cookers in the kitchen stared at Ayame as she received her muffin. One of the maids finally spoke up, "H-How are you feeling Ayame-sama…?"

Words couldn't really describe how she was feeling, so Ayame just shrugged and went to leave the room, "I'm going to school…" As she left, that same maid turned to another maid, "I heard Hirano-sama go into her room last night…" Her eyes widened, "Really? Even after Yuna-sama's death, he still…??" Another maid cut her off, "Shhh! He's still in the dining room…!"

Ayame stared out the limo's tinted window as she began to get anxious…and not the good kind of anxiety. She wasn't used to being around both girls AND boys at school. Plus, these were all new people whom she has never met, so who knows what they could think of her at first glance…

At 7.03 exactly, she arrived at school and slowly ascended the steps up into the school. Ayame marveled at the appearance; the overall look of the school was already throwing better vibes than Lobelia…

But when she actually entered the school, she found herself in a lobby of some sort filled with students and teachers. A few people stared at her strangely, some with confusion, some with awe. Ayame began to get uncomfortable and started to make her way through the crowd of people and tried to find the main office.

Signs on the walls helped her a lot, and eventually she found the office, and was then pointed to the superintendent's office. His office held an entrance with huge double doors, and Ayame took a deep breath before knocking on them softly. A voice mumbled from within, "Come in…"

Ayame gulped and opened the doors and saw an old-ish looking man scribbling down on papers.

'Great,' thought Ayame. 'More men…'

The superintendent looked up at Ayame and blinked, "Who're you? Do you need something?" His slightly harsh tone made Ayame cringe and take a step back, trying to make as big of a space as she could between the two of them, "I-I'm Ayame Hirano…I was supposed to see you about getting my schedule and stuff… I-I just transferred in today." The man nodded, "Yes, yes, I apologize. I have your stuff here somewhere… Well come here Hirano-san so I can give them to you."

Ayame bit her lip, but slowly walked closer to the man's desk. Eventually, she was right in front of the desk and was then handed a few pieces of paper, "Here's your schedule, codes of conduct sheet, list of clubs, and other miscellaneous things that explain Ouran."

Ayame took them and nodded, "Th-Thank you…" She looked around and saw the name plate on the desk, "…Suou-sama…" Suou nodded, stood up, and then extended his hand to her, "Enjoy your time here at Ouran Hirano-san. If you need anything, please come see me." Ayame stared at his hand in fear and quickly bowed, "A-Arigato…!" Then, without shaking Suou's hand, she quickly ran out of the room.

She gulped to herself as she navigated through the halls, trying to find her homeroom; 2-A. She avoided the eyes that followed her and stared at her as she started to get uncomfortable already.

Suddenly, Ayame bumped into someone, who instantly apologized, "Oh, sorry about that." Ayame focused her vision and looked at the person she bumped into; a boy with brown hair and big brown eyes. Ayame's eyes widened as she stumbled backwards, "N-No, I'm sorry, I…!" The boy blinked in surprise and approached her, "Hey, are you alright?"

He went to put a hand on her shoulder, but Ayame whimpered and ran past him as her voice scratched, "L-Leave me alone…!" The boy stared at her in astonishment as she turned the corner up ahead and he then sighed, exasperated. Then, he felt two hands on her shoulders and two identical voices, "Ne Haruhi… Why are you standing in the middle of the hallway?" The 'boy' turned a head and saw two identical auburn haired boys looking bored. 'He' just shrugged, "Nothing… Come on, let's just go to homeroom…"

Ayame slowed her pace when she finally saw a sign for room 2-A. She sighed in relief and entered the room to see the seat already near-filled. All eyes were now on her and she could feel her cheek turning pink. A female's voice caught her attention, "You must be Hirano, right?"

Ayame turned to the voice and saw who must have been her teacher. She sighed internally and thought, "A female teacher…thank goodness…" Ayame nodded and the teacher smiled, "Alright. I'm your homeroom teacher, Takaya-sensei. Please introduce yourself to the class."

This caused Ayame to cringe, and everybody in the class noticed. They stared at her with questioning eyes and before Ayame could say anything, the door slammed open. The class' attention turned to the door to see three boys. Ayame noticed one of them to be the boy she had bumped into earlier and she instantly turned a bright red.

The boy breathed deeply, probably because he ran to class, while the other two boys, auburn haired twins, just looked plain bored. Takaya raised an eyebrow at the three, "Nice of you to join us Fujioka, Hitachiins." The twins just shrugged and walked to the back of the room while the other boy, Fujioka, bowed before going to his seat in the back with the twins, "G-Gomen Takaya-sensei…"

Takaya sighed in annoyance and turned back to Ayame, "Go ahead." Ayame gulped and nodded as she turned to the class, her bright green eyes staring at the floor moreover, "O-Ohayo… I'm Ayame Hirano and I just transferred here today…obviously. Uhm…I like to read and write…and I one day hope to become a novelist…"

She only received stares that caused her to turn a darker red. Takaya smiled from behind her, "Good intro Hirano. Now go sit in that seat right over there." She pointed off to an empty seat in the back row in the corner, next to one of the auburn haired twins. Ayame frowned slightly, but then nodded and went back to sit in her designated seat.

Takaya took roll call and then everyone talked amongst themselves. Ayame, however, went into her bag and got one of her writing notebooks that held one of her many stories she was writing. But before she could even think of what to write, the girl who sat in front of her and 2 other girls approached her desk and smiled widely and chimed, "Ohayo Hirano-chan!"

Ayame blinked, but then smiled and nodded, "Ohayo… I-I'm sorry…I don't know your names…" The girls smiled in response and one of them, a red haired girl, spoke first, "Don't worry about it! I'm Maya Tsubasa…" A black haired girl spoke next, "And I'm Kagura Hanajima! Nice to meet ya!" The last girl, a blonde, grinned as she spoke, "And I'm Suki Hoshio! We saw you sitting here alone so we decided to introduce ourselves!"

Ayame was very surprised; people generally just left her on her own in Lobelia… Regardless, she smiled warmly, "I appreciate that very much." Suki nodded happily, "Of course! Hey Ayame, did you wanna come with us to our school's Host Club after school??" Maya and Kagura nodded in agreement and chimed, "Yes, yes, it would be so much fun if you came Ayame!"

This caught Ayame with confusion, "What's a Host Club?" The three girls before her gasped and exclaimed, "You don't know what a host club is?!" Ayame was taken back by their yelling but shook her head slowly. Maya sighed deeply, "Well, it's basically…" But she was cut off by Kagura putting a hand over her mouth, "No, don't tell her! Ayame-chan, it'll be much better if it came as a surprise!"

The three girls pouted in plea and finally Ayame sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "Fine…I guess I'll go with you." The three girls shrieked and chimed, "You won't be disappointed Ayame!" The bell then sounded and everyone began leaving the room. Ayame stood up from her seat as Suki spoke out as her and the two girls left the room, "Meet us outside the third music room after school, okay?!"

Ayame wandered the halls aimlessly all day, just making it to her classes on time. In order, her classes were: Geometry, Poetry, Creative Writing, Biology, Lunch, Justice and Law, and then finally a study hall. But to her dismay, all of Ayame's classes had male instructors, all of who stared at Ayame in familiar ways.

As for her classmates, she made friends with the females easily, but whenever a boy would try and engage in conversation, Ayame would just run away from them.

Her study hall was coming to an end, and she was already able to finish all of her homework of the day. The bell rang and, as promised, Ayame went up to the third music room that she had passes earlier that day. She leaned on the wall that the door was on and waited for the three girls. As minutes went by, girls would go through the doors in huge waves.

Every time the door opened, Ayame swore she smelt the slightest scent of roses.

Finally, Maya, Suki, and Kagura arrived and grinned at Ayame. Maya gestured a hand at the door, "Are you ready for the greatest time of your life Ayame-chan?!" Ayame smiled slightly and shrugged her shoulders, "Guess we'll have to find out, huh?" Suki and Maya grinned as Kagura opened one of the double doors.

The rose scent tickled her nose again and followed closely behind the three girls as they walked inside. But then, all three girls went in different directions. Ayame blinked in confusion as she looked around. Her eyes caught Maya as she approached a group of girls crowded around something…or someone, but she couldn't see what.

She then saw Suki go over to a little blond boy who was eating cakes like some…cake monster… Finally, she found Kagura sitting with a group of girls on a couch with another parallel to them, the auburn haired twins from her homeroom sitting on it.

Ayame's eyes narrowed as she whispered to herself, "What is this…?" Looking around more, she noticed that there were exactly five groups that these large groups of girls were separated in. And at each group, they would all randomly shriek in happiness.

Suddenly, a tall blond boy was towering over Ayame. She looked up at him in fear and confusion as he smiled down at her, "Princess…you seem lost. Is there some thing that we, the Host Club, can help you with?" Ayame cringed at his seductive voice and looked around the room to try and avert his gaze. She looked closer now; the large group of girls that she saw when she first walked in, Maya included, had followed this blond boy; they were all crowding around him…

She then shifted her eyes over to the twins, who were in a compromising position with each other…as the girls, Kagura included, squealed in delight. Another group of girls were surrounding the boy she had bumped into this morning. …Another group was surrounded by a familiar looking dark haired boy with glasses. And the last group of girls, Suki included, was around that blond little kid and a very tall brown haired boy.

All of these girls were swooning over these males…they all looked head-over-heels for each one… Something in Ayame's mind clicked as she mumbled to herself, "A Host Club is…where males 'entertain' females so that they'll feel good about themselves…?"

The blond that was still towering over Ayame grinned in delight, "Yes Princess! We…!" But the boy was cut off by Ayame cringing immensely, whimpering to herself, and quickly turned on a heel for the door.

But before she could open the door all the way, a hand went over the door and closed it again. Ayame looked at the hand's owner and saw the familiar looking boy with the glasses from before. He released her hand from the door and used it to adjust his glasses, "Ayame Hirano-san…I presume…?"

Ayame was confused as to how this boy knew her name. Her first assumption was that he was stalking her, but then as she looked at him more carefully, she gasped loudly and she felt tears form in her eyes, "K-Kyouya Ootori…?" He nodded once and then Ayame's eyes widened, then clamped them shut as she sobbed silently. The entire room stared at her in silence, but then everyone gasped when they saw Ayame give Kyouya a hatful glare, and then slap him right across the face. Tears still flowed out of her eyes as she yelled at him, "I hate you Kyouya Ootori! I hate you!"

And with that, she ran out of the music room, but not before slamming the door hard behind her.

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**Oh snap, what was that about?! :O I'm sure you're all like 'omgwtf?', but that's what I WANT you to think! MUAHAHA!! ....Anyway, review, favorite, ect. as always...hope you enjoyed!**

**And for anyone who cares, I'm still playing with the idea of doing a super in depth scene with Ayame and her father...but I'm still not sure. And if I did, it would be around chapter 4 or 5. So that gives me time to decide. THANKS FOR READING! :D**


	3. Sorry

**Dunno why, but I really liked writing this chapter xD Uhm...not much to say right now. More important stuff is down below... Sooo, review, favorite, ect...PLEASE! :) Enjoyyy!**

**Oh yeah, just for the record, the first part that's in italics, is a flashback! So when the italics ends, then it's normal time again. ^^**

_Disclaimer: Fools! I do not own Ouran High School Host Club...I only own my OCs and the plot... xD_

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_Kyouya Ootori, a 13 year-old boy with the mind of a 20-year old, waited patiently for Ryoma Hirano to return from his pardon that he had excused himself on 10 minutes ago. Suddenly, his cell phone rang from his pocket and Kyouya looked at it to see it was his father._

_He answered, "Yes Father?" A deep voice was on the other end, "Kyouya, have you given Hirano-san my message yet?" Kyouya nodded to himself, "Yes. He left a few minutes ago to get the paper work together so he could give it to me to give to you." His father sighed impatiently, "Well, I need you home now; I need you to go out on another errand." Kyouya closed his eyes softly, "I understand. I'll be there as soon as possible."_

_And with that, they both hung up. Kyouya didn't want to keep his father waiting, so he decided to go search for Hirano himself._

_He had heard him go up the staircase, and since there were only three floors to the mansion, yet very long in length, Kyouya decided to start his search on the second floor. He knocked on each door before opening, and was unsuccessful in finding the man. _

_He was about to give up hope, until he passed by a door that was closed and a visible light was shining through the opening on the bottom. As he got closer, he heard two voices: one man's and one younger female's. _

_Kyouya was about to knock on the door, but the male voice cut him off, "Stop fighting and suck it up…! I have to get back to that Ootori boy…!" He then heard the female whimper slightly in sadness and fear._

_Kyouya's eyes widened as he unconsciously opened the door. If possible, his eyes widened even more at the sight: Ryoma Hirano hovering over a teenage girl, maybe a little younger than himself, exposed in only jeans and a dark blue bra. Hirano's hand was squeezing one of the girl's breasts and the girl's face was stained with tears._

_He wasn't an idiot; Kyouya knew what was going on here. But…who was this girl?_

_When Kyouya had opened the door, all movements had stopped and Hirano and the girl's attentions were on the teenage boy in the doorway. Both of their eyes widened and everyone's faces turned light pinks._

_Kyouya tried to speak, but was cut off by Hirano rising from the girl and approaching the Ootori; Kyouya didn't flinch at all. Hirano noticed this and smirked, "Ootori-san…this is Ayame…my daughter." He turned around slightly to the girl Kyouya now knew as Ayame, "Aya-chan, this is Kyouya Ootori-san. He's the son of my business partner, the one you've met many times."_

_Ayame sat up on the bed, folded her arms around her torso, and knelt her head down in embarrassment. Kyouya stared at the beautiful girl as her black-streaked brown hair covered her face, so he couldn't see her emotions at all. He looked back at Hirano in absolute shock; the highly-regarded man was doing _this_ to his young daughter…?_

_However, Hirano only smirked at the boy, "Kyouya-san…I understand that you are in a tough spot to being the heir to your father's estate…correct?" Kyouya didn't answer; he only stared. Hirano's smirk grew wider, "As you know, I am very close to your father. And in that connection…I can assure that _you_ become heir…and not either of your brothers…"_

_This caused Kyouya to cringe and take a deep breath; he was being bribed shamelessly to keep his mouth shut about this scene he had just witnessed… Normally, he knew better than to fall for such a pathetic bribe…however…_

_Kyouya looked from Hirano to Ayame, causing the two teens to lock eyes. Ayame pleaded to him silently, her eyes practically yelling 'Please stop this madness and save me!'. _

_But then Kyouya closed his eyes and simply stated, "Very well." _

_Hirano smirked even wider and Ayame stared at Kyouya in horror. _

_Ryoma Hirano patted Kyouya's shoulder, causing him to cringe slightly, "Good boy. I'll be sure to always keep the good word in. Before you know it, you'll be the heir of the Ootori Company. Come, I've got that paperwork for your father." And with that, he started down the hallway._

_Before Kyouya went to follow the man he now held no respect for, he looked back at Ayame, whose eyes were starting to produce tears. She bit her lip, as if trying to put all her internal pain into her lip, "You're the only one who can do something… Please…!" However, Kyouya turned around and started down the hall as he mumbled loud enough for Ayame to hear._

"_Sorry…"_

_But both Kyouya Ootori and Ayame Hirano knew that no amount of apologies would atone for what the teenage boy had just done._

Kyouya rose a hand to his cheek where Ayame had hit him and sighed, the memories pouring back into his mind. He turned back to the clients and hosts, who all stared at him in shock.

He put on his signature smile for the crowd, "No worries. Please, continue with your happiness ladies…" The girls all swooned at his smile and went back to their hosts and acted like nothing had happened. Kyouya sighed silently in relief, but then Tamaki approached him.

The blond gave Kyouya a serious look, "What was that about Mother?" Kyouya twitched at his nickname, but dropped it, "Just a girl I turned down a few years ago. She still hasn't forgiven me I suppose…" Tamaki gave his best friend one more look but then shrugged and went back to his clients.

Kyouya stared at the door, as if staring at Ayame herself, and whispered inaudibly, "Of course she hasn't forgiven me… That must mean…" He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he went back to his laptop to manage the Host Club profits.

_I'm sorry Ayame Hirano…I truly am…_

Ayame's veins were pulsing with adrenalin as she paced around her room. After 4 years, she had never expected to see _Kyouya Ootori_ again… In fact, that time four years ago had been the only time she ever saw him…until today…

She glanced at her clock and gasped loudly to herself; 12:50 AM. Ayame ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed her temples, "When did it get this late…? I got home at about 5…read for 2 hours…wrote for another 2 hours…showered…and then apparently paced for 3 hours…?"

Ayame started to get frustrated with herself as she went over to her bed, picked up her black pillow, and threw it angrily at the wall as she shouted, "He could have done something!! He could have ended ALL of this!!" Her stamina suddenly drained as she fell to her knees and her face buried into her bed. She felt tears forming as she mumbled into the comforter, "Mom…would never say anything…and…Father…threatened to ensure that I never became a novelist… Mom's devotion and my dream was what caused _this_ to continue…"

She punched a fist into her blanket as she hissed, "But Kyouya Ootori…! He had solid proof of what that bastard does to me…!" Tears started to stain her comforter as she screamed, "HE'D RATHER HAVE HIS PRECIOUS ESTATE…!!"

Ayame breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down, but then a few minutes later, there was a knock at her door, "Aya-chan? Are you awake?" She clenched her fists as she raised her head from the bed and glared at the door. However, Ayame didn't get the chance to answer; Ryoma Hirano entered her room without warning, still in his business suit.

He stared at his daughter in confusion, "Why are you on the floor? Aya-chan…have you been crying?"

He began to approach her, but Ayame stood up instantly and took several steps backwards, "N-No, I'm fine, I just..." Ryoma cut her off, "It was Ouran and all those men, wasn't it? I knew this would happen…" Before Ayame could go back any further, her father grabbed her wrist tightly, threw her on the bed, and he sat on her stomach, "Aya-chan…you don't need any dirty men in your life. No…all you need is me. Me and you Aya-chan…like it was meant to be…"

As he spoke to her, he was tracing along the top hem of her spaghetti strap shirt and then along her collarbone. Ayame shivered in disgust under his touch and went to move his hands away, but then he caught her hands with his own and he held them over her head.

He then leaned down and began planting hungry kisses and bites on her neck and jaw line. Ayame clamped her eyes shut, trying to control her tears from forming, but it was futile as she felt her father use his mouth to lower her shirt so he could bite lower than her collarbone.

She went to tell him to stop, when her cell phone suddenly started to ring. Ryoma stopped what he was doing, but didn't raise his lips from his daughter's flawless skin. Ayame's eyes widened slightly at the fact that her phone was even ringing; nobody ever called her…

Ayame almost didn't dare to answer the phone that was vibrating and ringing in her pocket, but her eyes widened when Ryoma rose from her skin and put his fingers in her pocket. Before he actually took the phone from her pocket, his fingers went elsewhere, causing Ayame to jump and her eyes to instantly tear up. He looked at the caller ID and frowned, "It's not any number you have saved."

Regardless, he put the phone on her stomach and got off of her, but not before gliding his hand under her shirt briefly and massaging her upper stomach lightly. He went to the door and was about to close it, but then he turned back to Ayame and smiled, "We can continue tomorrow night." Then, he shut the door and she heard his footsteps go down the hallway.

Ayame sat up and stared at the unknown number on her caller ID for a few seconds before flipping the phone open, "H-Hello?" The voice on the other end responded, "I guess I was right… I wasn't going to hang up until you answered." Ayame gulped slightly; the voice was male and that idea made her uneasy, "Wh-Who is this…?"

"Kyouya Ootori…"

The girl gasped silently before glaring at nobody, "How dare you have the nerve to call me…!" She heard the older boy sigh, "My father just got back from a meeting with your father a while ago." There was silence and Ayame was unsure as to where he was going with this.

After a few more seconds, he sighed again, "It was obvious today that he still… *pause* And, I assumed that at about a few minutes ago, he would go to you and… *pause* I hope I was able to…help you…"

Ayame stared at her wall in shock as her mouth went agape, "You…helped me…?" She could almost sense him blink in confusion, "Did I…?" She stared at her feet in surprise; he _had_ helped her… His assumption was correct and because of that, one night was avoided.

Ayame Hirano was almost…grateful for the help of a man, let alone him being Kyouya Ootori.

The silence was enough for Kyouya as he sighed internally, "I really am…sorry…for my actions four years ago… However, I hope you understand that I…" Ayame cringed and glared once again, "I _understand_ but don't think this was enough for me to _forgive_ you because Kyouya Ootori, that won't be any time soon!"

And with that, she flipped her phone closed and threw it across the room into the opposite wall. She glared at her phone with rage, but then it slowly dissipated and she gulped hard as tears were forming once again.

_Thank you…Kyouya Ootori…_

Kyouya sighed and flipped his phone shut and placed it on the table next to his glasses. He laid back onto his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. A few minutes ago he had been exhausted, but now he was wide awake. He moved onto his side to try and get more comfortable, but was still restless. He gulped as he went back to staring at the ceiling in deep thought.

_She may not fully forgive me now…but hopefully she will soon…_

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**Ahh! I still loved this chapter... ^^'' Anow I know this seems like some majorr KyouyaxOC...but it's not, I promise. Stuff with the Hitachiins should be coming in later...I just gotta lead up to it so everything can come together! However...I was also playing with the idea of a onesided KyouyaxOC....MAYBE. xD **

**So, just another reminder to REVIEW and FAVORITE and do ALL THINGS THAT WILL MAKE ME HAPPYY!!! :) SHOUTOUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE DONE ALL THOSE THINGS!!! :D**


	4. Toy

**Well...it's past midnight right now and I am superr tired xD But I just inifhsed this chapter (second one today! :D) so I decided to just go for it and if it was confusing, I'll just rewrite it some other time. ^^ But really, any questions concerning any confusion, please ask me! :) So, review, favorite, alert, ANYTHING! And, most importantly, ENJOY! **

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club...I only own my OCs and plot._

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The moment the last bell of the day sounded, Ayame rushed out of her study hall and immediately went to the third music room. However, she didn't go inside when she got there. Instead, Ayame stood before the double doors and stared at the floor.

What Ayame wanted to do was…thank…Kyouya Ootori for what he had done for her. Even if it had only been for one night, he had been able to give Ayame one night to herself.

He gave her one night to feel clean.

Ayame checked her watch; 2.27 PM. The Host Club didn't actually start until 2.50…at least, that's what Ayame heard from all the girls in the school, more specifically Maya, Suki, and Kagura. Several times today, they approached Ayame and asked what the events from yesterday afternoon were about. Ayame simply said it was nothing, and eventually just ignored them all together.

Taking a deep breath, Ayame took a deep breath and took a hold of one of the handles. She twisted it and then pushed the door open. Ayame was then blinded by a bright, white light and the smell of rose hit her nose like it had before.

The lights cleared and before her stood the seven men she had caught glances of the day before, all in a set formation. They all smiled at Ayame and chimed, "Welcome hime-sama!" Ayame grimaced at their welcoming voices but stepped inside anyway, "I am…only here to see Kyouya Ootori…"

Kyouya blinked as he stared at Ayame carefully. The twins tilted their heads to the side, "Oh, it's that super quiet girl in our homeroom Haruhi." Haruhi noticed her immediately and frowned at the memory of their first encounter. Hunny grinned and ran over to Ayame and stood in front of her.

Ayame looked down at him carefully as he smiled up at her, "Hi! I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka! But you can call me Hunny! What's your name?!" Instead of answering his question, Ayame whispered, "Are you…a high school student…?" Hunny giggled as he hugged his bunny, "Nope! I'm a first year at Tokyo U! Oh! And so is Takashi! Takashi, Takashi! Come say hi!"

Ayame cringed at the fact that this small child was a college student, but then cringed even more when the super tall brown haired boy she saw yesterday was towering over her, "Ah." He gave her a blank expression and she stared up at him in slight fear and confusion. But then, Takashi picked up Hunny from under his arms and carried him away to the group.

Then, Tamaki rose from his seat and strutted his way over to Ayame, "Hime-sama…may I ask what beautiful name you may have…?" Tamaki then pulled a red rose from his blazer and held it out to Ayame. When Ayame didn't respond in any way other than staring in fear and shock, Tamaki smirked and got alittle closer to her, frightening the girl even more, "Do I strike you at awe hime-sama…?"

Tamaki went to put a finger under her chin, but then Kyouya came over and pushed him back and into the opposite wall like it was nothing. Kyouya smiled down at Ayame warmly, making sure he kept a safe distance from her, while the twins laughed hysterically and chimed, "Nice one Kyouya-senpai! Tono got owned!" Haruhi sighed in annoyance and made her way over to Tamaki, who was on the ground twitching.

Ayame stared at the scene and then up at Kyouya, "Can I…talk to you really quick…?" Kyouya looked her over for a second before nodding and pointing off to a nearby couch, "Of course. This way, if you will Ayame-san…" Ayame followed him over to the couch and both sat on near separate ends.

Ayame didn't want to sit too close to him and Kyouya knew this.

There was silence for a few moments until Ayame took a deep breath, "I wanted to…formally thank you for…last night…" She looked around for a brief moment to see if anyone was nearby; she didn't see anyone so she continued, "You really did…help me. Even if it was only one night…it was helpful… And for that…I thank you Kyouya-senpai…"

Ayame bowed her heads towards him and Kyouya could only stare. He shut his eyes for a moment and thought, "So it's still bad…" He opened his eyes again when Ayame continued, "However, I ask that you not do anything like that again." That surprised Kyouya as he raised an eyebrow, "And why is that…?"

She looked off to the side as she answered, "I don't want you to get involved… I realize that having others get involved will only result in mishaps. Besides…" Ayame looked at Kyouya this time, "…the promise is being kept I'm sure. The news says that you are very likely to become heir over your brothers. It must have been…worth it for you…"

Ayame looked at the ground this time and Kyouya stared at her in disbelief. But before he could say anything, two identical voices were heard from behind the couch they were on, "Ne Hirano-chan…"

Ayame jumped and peripheral vision told her that the twins in her homeroom, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, were on either side of her from behind the couch. She cringed as she stood up and turned around to face them, "D-Don't do that…! And don't call me…Hirano-chan… Ayame is just fine you…!" They both cut her off as they jumped over the couch and sat where she had been, "You what? What were you going to call us Hirano-chan?"

They were teasing her and Ayame knew that. She glared at the devil twins hard, "J-Just leave me alone…!" The two boys looked at each other and tilted their heads, then turned back to Ayame, "Or else what?" Ayame's face flushed as she now glared at the ground instead, "Please stop…"

But the Hitachiins weren't letting up; instead, they both stood up and took several steps closer to their new, fascinating toy, "And if we don't stop?" Before Ayame knew it, they were both in front of her. She saw their feet appear in her vision on the floor and he head shot up to look at them.

The twins leaned in closer to Ayame; her face was beet red by now. Her eyes clamped shut, expecting to be touched any second now by these evil males, but nothing came. Ayame, confused, opened one eye and saw the boys looking at her in a concerned way. However, the red in her face did not go away.

Haruhi noticed that Ayame was getting uncomfortable, so she went over to the three and pushed Hikaru and Kaoru's heads down to the floor, "Alright, enough you two. Can't you see Ayame-san is getting uncomfortable? Sorry about them… They can be really inconsiderate of other people…some…times…?"

Haruhi noticed that Ayame was staring at her with wide eyes. Ayame blinked slightly and whispered, "Are you possible…a girl…?"

Everyone in the room froze, except Ayame of course. Haruhi searched deep in Ayame's eyes and found that she was desperate…for _something_. Ayame continued to stare until Haruhi rubbed the beck of her neck, "Ah well…yes, I am Ayame-san…" The rest of the hosts held their breaths, waiting for Ayame's next move.

As a result, everyone watched as Ayame's body relaxed and she smiled smally, "Thank goodness… I apologize for the way I acted then on our first meeting…when we bumped into each other. It was incredibly rude of me. I hope that you'll forgive me." Ayame bowed and Haruhi looked down at her in shock, "I-It's fine, don't worry about it Ayame-san…"

Haruhi looked at Kyouya, expecting some kind of silent answer, but his eyes remained on Ayame.

The twins somehow snuck their way out of Haruhi's grasp and made their way away from the other hosts and whispered to each other. Hikaru spoke first, "Man, this really sucks…" Kaoru frowned, his eyes still on Ayame, "Do you think…the thing on Kyouya's computer was for…?" Hikaru cut him off, "I don't know. But there's only one way to find out…"

Kaoru looked at his older brother for a moment before responding, "You know…we really shouldn't just sneak onto her…!" Hikaru, once again, cut him off, "But what if he's really…!" Kaoru cut him off this time, "And what if we really find that he _is_…!"

Tamaki's loud voice cut off Kaoru this time, "Mommy! Ayame-chan shut me down!" Ayame glared daggers at the 'princely man', "Cut it with the suffixes! You think just because girls around here swoon for you means that you're all great?! Well guess what buddy, you're _not_! You're nothing but a phony! An imposter! An incubus! _All_ of you in this damn club! You feed off of poor girls' hearts, only to leave them hollow and alone in the end! You don't feel anything for them at all! You're as bad as…as…"

Everyone stared at Ayame during her sudden outburst. She breathed deeply as she didn't want to continue that statement, but Kyouya spoke up, "As bad as what…Ayame-san?" Ayame's eyes bored into Kyouya but then she gulped and turned around for the door, "Whatever. I came here for my reason, so I'm leaving now."

She started for the door, but then Tamaki raised his voice, "Hold it right there!" Ayame froze in her tracks, but didn't turn around to face him. Tamaki pointed a finger at the girl, "The mission for the Host Club is to bring happiness to all girls who need it. And you, Ayame-chan, are _not_ happy. From this day on, I, Tamaki Suou, leader of this club, order you to come to the third music room everyday after school until you fully understand this mission!"

Everyone now stared at Tamaki in disbelief. Ayame still didn't move. Haruhi narrowed her eyes slightly, "Tamaki-senpai…isn't that alittle extreme? If Ayame-san doesn't want to believe in the ways of the Host Club…then just let her…" This time, Kyouya spoke up, "No…I agree. Ayame Hirano-san, you _will_ come here every day after school and learn to trust men again."

This caught the others by surprise and made then unsure how to react. Ayame gulped and turned around slowly to face everyone. Her eyes scanned everyone's faces quickly and all she could gather was shock and confusion. Finally, she stopped her gaze on Kyouya and her eyes narrowed, "Just don't expect it to be easy."

And with that, Ayame picked up her pace and left the music room and slammed the door like she had yesterday. Kyouya had a look of relief on his face, Tamaki seemed thrilled, Haruhi was dreadfully confused, Hunny and Mori were off on a dessert cart, and Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a look of concern. Kaoru whispered right into Hikaru's ear so nobody heard him, "She doesn't trust men Hikaru…" Hikaru simply gulped and smirked challengingly, "Then we'll have to fix that, won't we Kaoru…?" Both boys looked at the double doors, trying to look pass them to their new toy and…crush.

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***gasp*! Do I sense my threesome finally appearing?? I think so! I'm sure there are manyy questions concerning the twins' private conversations, but they will most likely be answered in the next chapter. It's finally getting interesting people! ^^ Just another reminder to REVIEW, FAVORITE, ALERT...JUST SHOW ME THAT YOU CARE PEOPLE!!! T-T .....Hope you enjoyed! :)**


	5. Familiar

**So I just realized...I don't even know what day it is in this story right now! xD I re-read the other chapters to see if I put a day in there and unless I missed it completely, I'm gonna say that the start of this chapter takes place on a Thursday. That means the start of the story was the day before Thursday, so Wednesday! Oh, and if it wasn't clear in chapter 1, we are currently in mid-October.**

**ALSO if it wasn't clear, this takes place after the **_**anime**_** and is so that the twins, Haruhi, and Ayame are in their second year, Kyouya and Tamaki are in their third and final year, and Takashi and Hunny are first years in college. **

**As always, review, alert, favorite... And most of all...enjoy! :) And also, sorry for the shortness for this chapter. I'll try and make up for it next chapter ^^**

Disclaimer: DAMN YOU WORLD!! ...I do not own Ouran High School Host Club...only my OCs and the plot. *sigh*

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_They want to…help me…_

Ayame was having trouble grasping the idea that a bunch of heartless males wanted to _help_ her rid of her androphobia **(A/N: That's a fear of men…just by the way ^^)**. She looked out from her balcony with a blank look on her face. For a moment, she really considered going back to that Host Club after school tomorrow.

She almost made herself laugh out loud as she turned her back on the view and leaned her back on the railing. Ayame scoffed as she shut her eyes and mumbled, "As if those idiots could actually fix me..." She ran her fingers through her hair and bit her lip, "It's been...too long to try and fix everything..."

Ayame wanted to keep telling herself that no matter what that Host Club did, they would _not_ be able to make her trust males again. But the truth was actually that she knew that if she _did_ let them help her, she would have to tell them _why_ she didn't trust them in the first place,

And that was just not happening.

It was bad enough that Kyouya Ootori knew about her situation, but if the whole club knew about it, then it would only cause bad things for Ayame…especially if one of them let it slip and it spread around the school. Ayame couldn't even _imagine_ what life would be like if that were to happen.

As she went back into her room and sat on her bed, Ayame began weighing the possibilities…

If she did decide to go there tomorrow, several things could happen, both good and bad. For one, Ayame would be making her first male frien--…_acquaintances_ in a long time. In fact, if things were to go well, she may even being to trust them, maybe even all males if they were successful in their antics. Maybe, just maybe, she could start to open up to people a little more…

Then, there was the bad side. The club's antics could blow up in her face and make her hate and fear males even more than she already did. And if that wasn't bad, what was worse could be if her _father_ found out what kinds of people she was hanging around with.

A bunch of handsome guys that made every girl swoon over them were with _his_ daughter? Simply unthinkable.

Ayame sighed deeply and lay back on her bed. She glanced at her alarm clock; 9.30. Ayame frowned and thought, "Any moment now…"

Then, as if on cue…her phone began ringing and vibrating in her pocket. Ayame blinked to herself as she sat up and dug her phone form her pocket; once again, it was a number she did not know. She took a deep breath before flipping open the phone, bracing herself, "Hello…?"

There were two identical voices on the other end, "Hirano-chan!" Ayame cringed immensely as she got to her feet in shock, "H-Hitachiins?!" The two boys chimed once again, "You got it right! We were almost afraid you wouldn't pick…" Ayame cut them off, "How did you get my number?!"

"Kyouya-senpai, of course." Ayame made a mental note to send several hateful glares at the Ootori tomorrow.

Regardless, she sighed into the phone, "What do you want anyway…?" She could almost sense the twins smirking, "We just wanted to clarify that you would be coming to the club after school tomorrow." Ayame made a strange face and sat back down on her bed, "I…don't know at the moment." Suddenly, her expression turned hard, "Why? What does it matter to you two anyway?!"

There was a brief silence and then they responded, "We would really like to see you again Ayame-chan." Ayame felt herself heat up slightly but she coughed out her voice, "Th-That's such a silly thing to say…! Don't try and charm your way into getting me to go back to your club because that's _not_ going to work on me!"

This time, only one spoke; his voice was rather soft for a boy's, "We aren't trying to charm you Ayame-chan." The other voice, one more boy-ish, spoke now, "Yeah, we just want to…" They then spoke at the same time, "…see you again."

Ayame's blush was obvious this time, even to her, "…We have the same homeroom Hitachiins...so it's not like you wouldn't ever see me again." She went to continue speaking, but they cut her off, "But we want to help you with your…problem."

Her eyes narrowed at their tones and how they worded that statement, "You know…this doesn't sound like you two at all…" The normal pitched boy spoke this time, "What do you mean by that??" The other spoke, "Yeah, you just met us two days ago so how could you even make assumptions as to who we are??"

Ayame rolled her eyes, "It's the stories I hear from all of your fangirls. They say that you both are little devils, pranksters…but are also kind of secluded, let few in…selfish one even said. And of course…the incest…"

That was the one thing about the twins that turned her off…their twincest. Real or just playing around, it didn't mean that she couldn't…relate any less.

The twins' laughter cut her thoughts off as they chimed, "Silly Hirano-chan! Don't tell anyone…but it's all a joke. But…" Their laughter ceased as they continued to speak in unison, "…even if we are pranksters and little devils and sometimes keep to ourselves, that…doesn't mean we don't care about people who need help."

Ayame's eyes widened as she gasped quietly; something about what they said was very…familiar; like she had heard those words somewhere before.

Suddenly, her door flew open to reveal Ryoma. He made a gesture for her to hang up the phone in a critical manner, and it made Ayame's skin crawl, "I-I'm sorry…but I have to go." The twins groaned, "Aww, but Hirano-chan…!" He drew closer to her and Ayame flinched, "I'll see you in homeroom…!"

Before she got to flip the phone shut, the twins raised their voices, "Wait Ayame-chan!" Ayame gulped as she brought the phone back to her ear, "What…?" They chimed once again in chipper voices, "What about the Host Club? You'll be there, right??" She didn't respond as she began to debate that idea once again in her head. Their voices brought her out of her thoughts, "Pleaseeee Ayame-chan??"

There was something in their tones of voices that made her face turn red again, but when she saw her father looking at her curiously but harsh at the same time, Ayame bit her lip, "I…I… I'll be there…" As she brought the phone away from her ear and went to flip it closed, she could hear the boys' cheers of victory.

Forgetting that her father was standing right next to her, Ayame put the phone on her bed-side-dresser and stared at the floor as she mumbled, "What…was that…?" Ryoma's voice knocked her out of her trance as she jolted her head to him, "N-Nothing!"

He stared at his daughter for a few more seconds before sighing and then getting closer to her, causing Ayame to flinch again and brace herself for what was coming…

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**Sorry if this was extremely suckish compared to my other ones... I feel kinda off my game this week x.x Uhmm...review and all that stuff I suppose...and I hope you enjoyed. ^^**

**Jeez, I sound like a broken record... xD Next chapter should be out by the end of the week or sooner.**


	6. Rounds

**LONG CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR THE LAST ONE! xP**

**Hehe, I know I've said this before...but _this_ was a very fun chapter to type... ^^ I really liked being able to portray each character's relationship with Ayame...excluding Haruhi...but that'll make sense once you read...**

**So, review, favorite...whatever! I notice that my review count has been decreasing, as are my hits....that makes me kinda sad... =/ NO MATTER! I still love all of who _do_ review, favorite, and alert! Much appreciated for your adorations... :) Now, please enjoy my favorite chapter thus far!**

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_**The Next Day…After School**_

Ayame was absolutely confused. All day, the host club members had approached her randomly, saying to go to the third music room…not matter _what_ happened. So…was this a contradiction?

She stood in front of the double doors of the music room, but on them was a sigh that read 'The Host Club Is Closed for Today'. When she had gotten there, Ayame had no idea _what_ to do… Now, she's been standing there for 2 minutes contemplating what to do.

Finally, Ayame knocked on the door unsurely, only to see it open and have herself grabbed by two pairs of hands and pulled into the room. Before she had any chance to react, she was thrown onto a couch and she landed face-down.

Ayame started getting irritated as she got up from the couch and saw she was surrounded by the infamous Host Club. They stood a good distance away from her, but Tamaki walked towards Ayame slowly and dramatically, "So nice of you to show up…Ayame-chan…" Ayame growled at him and yelled, "What did I say about the suffixes you faulty prince idiot?!"

Tamaki froze in place and quickly went to his corner of woe and wallowed in his self-pity as he mumbled, "She's so cruel…" Ayame sighed deeply and turned to Kyouya, "Okay, I'm here, so…now what?" The shadow king smirked as he fixed his glasses, "We begin the rounds." Ayame raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'rounds'??"

Apparently recovering from his insults, Tamaki returned from his corner and struck a dramatic pose in front of Ayame, "Yes! In order to recover your fear of males, we must discover which of us handsome men you trust the most! So, you're going to meet with each of us and see who you like best!"

This made Ayame twitch as she yelled, "You want me to pick a type?! Absolutely not! I don't want to be played with by you idiotic, self-centered…!" She was going to continue, but one of the twin's hands went over her mouth to cease her yelling. He smiled down at her gently as she stared up at him, "We all know our limits with you Ayame-chan."

Before she got to yell at him for the suffix, the other twin grinned more mischievously than the other twin as he put his hand over her mouth as well, "Yeah Ayame-chan. Me and Kaoru certainly won't do anything to do. Neither will Hunny-senpai or Mori-senpai."

Who must have been Kaoru continued from who must have been Hikaru's statement, "And I'm sure Kyouya-senpai will behave himself as well…" Then, they both released Ayame and sent wicked glances at Tamaki, "But Tono is a different story…" Tamaki cringed as the twins chuckled evilly and Ayame gulped to herself as she stared at him.

Kyouya then got closer to Ayame and went to put a hand on her shoulder, but he hesitated and put it back to his side, "Don't listen to those idiots. Everyone is being drilled not to come onto you. So…will you participate?" Ayame looked around unsurely at everyone, but then her eyes widened, "Wh-Where's Takashi-senpai, Hunny-senpai, and Haruhi-chan then…?"

Tamaki dramatically started to produce tears, "Unfortunately, my daughter will not be joining us…!" Kyouya cut him off, "As a girl, she is unfit to be part of the rounds." Ayame cringed at the idea of being the only girl in the room as he continued, "And Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai are at university, but should be here any…"

He was cut off by the door slamming open and the two college students coming in. Hunny announced their arrival, "We're here! Sorry we're late…another girl confessed to Hunny today." Everyone stared at him in astonishment as Hunny kept a happy smile on and Takashi just kept his stoic expression.

Kyouya fixed his glasses once more, "Now that everyone's here…let's being, shall we?" Ayame gulped again; who knows how this will turn out…

_Round 1 – The Loli-Shota Type_

Ayame watched in amazement as Hunny was scarfing down an entire strawberry cake. In front of her was a single slice of chocolate cake, but she was slowly losing her appetite as she watched Hunny devour an entire cake.

Hunny's voice interrupted her thought process, "Aya-chan, Aya-chan! Aren't you gonna get your cake!?" Ayame blinked as she stared at his face. His mouth was slightly stained with white frosting and his big brown eyes were sparkling with happiness. Ayame bit her lip but then she felt herself begin to smile as she thought, "He doesn't _look_ like a man… He seems much more like a little child. Plus, nothing he has done so far has caused me to become upset or uncomfortable…"

Ayame didn't hide her smile now as she picked up her fork and took a bite of her cake, "Yeah…thanks Hunny-senpai. It's really good…" Hunny blinked for a moment and then grinned widely, "I'm glad you like it! I love chocolate cake, but I prefer strawberry cake so much more."

Hunny looked down at his cake and saw it was nearly gone and that there was one more piece of strawberry left. He smiled warmly to himself as he put the strawberry on his fork and put it in front of Ayame's face, "Here Aya-chan! You can have my last strawberry!"

Staring at the strawberry carefully, Ayame felt herself laugh slightly as she leaned forward, "Thank you…Hunny-senpai…" She leaned just enough so that her mouth went over the strawberry and she took it right off of Hunny's fork. Hunny smiled in accomplishment as he giggled and sat back in his seat, "So what's your favorite kind of sweet Aya-chan??"

**Round 1…Very Successful**

_Round 2 – The Wild Type_

The awkward silence was almost too much for Ayame to bear.

Her and Mori have been sitting at their small table in silence for about 5 minutes now. Mori would occasionally take a sip of his tea, but his eyes were always watching Ayame carefully. Ayame, however, stared at her tea in secret disgust.

Mori noticed the disgust in her eyes as he finally spoke up, "I'm not your type." Ayame jumped at the sudden sound and looked at Mori in shock, "I-It's not that… I just…don't like tea." After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "What do you like?"

This caused Ayame to gasp in surprise slightly; no man had ever asked what _she_ liked…what _she_ wanted. Hunny was the only exception so far…but she felt like this was different.

Regardless, Ayame looked off to the side as she whispered, "I moreover prefer…hot chocolate…" Then, in an instant, Mori stood up and ran for the kitchen that was set in the back of the music room. Ayame's mouth gaped open when she saw Mori come back out with another teacup.

He set in down in front of her and then sat back down in his seat. Ayame stared at the cup in front of her; the aroma of the liquid just hit her nose. Her eyes widened when she realized it really was hot chocolate. Ayame shifted her eyes up from the cup to look at Mori, "Thank you…Takashi-senpai…" Ayame lifted the cup to her lips as she tasted it and her eyes widened.

Ayame accidentally said it her thoughts out loud, "It's really good…" Mori smiled at her softly, "I'm glad." Ayame cringed as she set the cup down and looked over Mori carefully.

He, like Hunny, has yet to make her upset or uncomfortable. In fact, what Ayame liked most about Mori was that he never spoke unless spoken to or unless it was very necessary. He didn't yell random nonsense or make people frightened.

Ayame smiled at Mori warmly as she went to take another sip of her hot chocolate, "So…you and Hunny-senpai are rather close…?" Mori blinked a few times before smiling himself as she got more comfortable around him.

**Round 2…Very Successful**

_Round 3 – The Prince Type_

"Obnoxious!"

"Cruel!"

"Phony!"

"Un-lady like!"

"Idiot!"

"Ill-natured!"

"**Why don't you act like a normal human being should!?!"** (A/N: That was both of them xD)

Ayame glared daggers at Tamaki, "How on Earth am I cruel, un-lady like, or even ill-natured?! I'm telling you the truth! Nobody likes people who are fake and tell them lies!"

Tamaki cowered back in fear and dramatized sadness, "I would never lie to my princesses!" Then, his face turned harsh, "_You_ are the one who is out of line! No lady should be afraid to converse with a prince such as myself! And at that, they _certainly_ wouldn't be so loud and mean!"

Ayame officially lost it and went to attack him, but Kyouya now held her back by the back of her collar. She growled as she persisted to get to Tamaki, "Let me at him! I'll knock that _king_ right off his throne!"

Kyouya sighed as he began dragging her away from the kingly figure of the Host Club, "That's enough of this now… Truth be told, you lasted longer than I thought you would…"

Meanwhile, Tamaki was in his corner of woe with the twins close behind him. The princely teenager struck another dramatic pose, "Oh dear, I did not mean to make such a fool of myself in front of our princess…! I simply wanted to show the error of her ways…!!" Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders as they chimed with sarcasm dripping off their mouth, "Way to make Ayame-chan's view on males even better Tono…"

**Round 3…**_**Very**_** Unsuccessful**

_Round 4 – The Cool Type_

Ayame was still ticked off after her round with Tamaki as she sat at another small table with Kyouya across from her. Kyouya noticed her anger and he smirked slightly, "You're the first person to really yell at him like that. Haruhi would usually apologize later on…"

When Ayame didn't respond, he considered going to Plan B. Kyouya looked over Ayame's shoulder to see that the others weren't paying attention to them, so he decided to carry out Plan B.

He sighed as he smiled to Tamaki in an obvious fashion so that Ayame would notice, "But who knew that it would be those fights they would have that would lead them to today…" This caught Ayame's attention as she glanced at Kyouya carefully, "What do you mean…?"

Kyouya smiled at Ayame now, "Well, they're obviously in love with each other. But between you and me…they're both oblivious to it…" Ayame's eyes widened as she turned around in her seat slightly to get a look at Tamaki. He was still in his corner and was slowly started to reach his boiling point as the twins teased him.

She turned back to Kyouya with curious eyes, "You think that Haruhi likes _that_ idiot??" Kyouya smiled wider, "I don't think…I _know_." Ayame's eyes narrowed as she rose her voice slightly, "But why?! Why would _Haruhi_, an innocent girl being forced to be a _male_, even considering _liking_ that idiot?! It doesn't make any sense!"

She reacted just the way Kyouya had wished as he smirked internally, "Everyone has some good in them Ayame-san…some more than others." Ayame's eyes widened as she stared at Kyouya in shock. She gulped as she shifted in her seat and stared at the floor intently.

After a moment, Ayame shifted her eyes to look at Kyouya, "And what about you? Are you the sick, manipulative male I remember and that some of the girls refer you as…?" Kyouya was taken back by her question and felt the guilt from six years ago pouring back into him, "I'm…not entirely manipulative. And I don't find myself to be _sick_."

Ayame frowned as she raised her head up completely now, "So how can I even begin to trust you after _that_?"

Kyouya was also expecting this question. But either way, he sighed as he got up from his seat and stood next to Ayame so he looked down at her and she looked back up cautiously. He smiled once more and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. Kyouya frowned as he kept his hand there for a few seconds, but then removed it and walked away as he said, "I would never hurt you like he would… It's up to you to trust me or not."

Ayame gulped and she placed a hand on her shoulder where Kyouya's hand had been. She didn't trust him completely…but there was still some there.

**Round 4…Semi-Successful**

_Round 5 – The Little Devil Type_

The trio sat in a triangle shape around a small round table, and so far, it was really only the twins talking and Ayame nodding or shaking her head. For the most part, Ayame's mind was elsewhere, thinking about Kyouya's words.

Hikaru and Kaoru noticed her distant eyes and decided to do something about it. They looked at each other and grinned widely as they chimed, "Ne Hirano-chan…" Ayame's eyes widened as she turned her full-attention onto the two boys, "Hitachiins…"

The boys grinned wider as they shifted their seats so they were on either side of Ayame. Ayame held her breath for a few seconds as she looked at them both through peripheral vision.

Meanwhile, the other hosts were looking at the trio in confusion. Hunny spoke up, "Why are Hika-chan and Kao-chan so close to Aya-chan? I thought we weren't allowed to get too close!" Kyouya's eyes narrowed as he mumbled, "We weren't…and neither are they…"

Ayame cringed more as the two identical boys brought their faces closer to her, "What are you thinking about Ayame-chan?" She coughed slightly as she looked down at her feet, "N-Nothing…" The boys frowned and Hikaru spoke, "We're serious Ayame-chan."

Ayame bit her lip as she closed her eyes, "How do you expect me to take you seriously, Hikaru??" Kaoru smiled innocently as he shrugged his shoulders, "To be honest, we really want you…to…" His smile disappeared and he and Hikaru looked at each other in surprise.

They then looked at Ayame intently and she slumped her shoulders as she got embarrassed, "Wh-Why are you two looking at me like that…?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow, "You just called me Hikaru…" Ayame looked confused so Kaoru continued, "How did you know that he was Hikaru…?"

Ayame thought over where they were trying to go with this…but then it hit her. She put her hands to her mouth in shock and she mumbled into them, "I-I didn't call him Hikaru, I swear…!" The auburn-haired boys narrowed their eyes slightly and chimed, "Yes you did Ayame-chan, don't deny it now!" Ayame shook her head slowly as she stared at the ground, "I-I didn't mean to say your name… It just…came out…"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked back at each other and nodded; the assumption that they had made earlier was now confirmed. They looked back at Ayame, who was still lost in thought. Ayame really didn't mean to call Hikaru by his name. When she saw them in class these past 3 days, she couldn't really tell them apart. But this time…his name just slid off her tongue.

It was like it was just…instinct.

Kaoru sighed as he dug into his pocket, "I guess there's no hiding it now." Hikaru mimicked Kaoru as he also went into his pocket, "We thought it would be pointless to bring it up…but you must remember." Ayame gulped as she whispered, "Remember what…?"

Then, the twins each pulled out half of a photograph. They held it in front of Ayame separately at first. In both of the pictures, one of two twins were in either one of them. And also in both, half of a girl was in both of them, but since she was split in half, Ayame couldn't tell who it was.

But then the twins put their photos together, making it one whole picture. The girl was in the middle of the two twins and their arms were around the girl's shoulders. All three of them looked about the same age, maybe about 4 or 5 years old.

As Ayame looked at the girl closer, she noticed she had brown hair to her shoulders and bright green eyes. After a few seconds, something in Ayame clicked and she gasped loudly. Hikaru and Kaoru silently sighed in relief, glad that she finally remembered.

"This is you two and…me…!"

**Round 5...Uhm...Successful...?**

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Oh my goshh, I lovedd this chapter... :) I hope you all liked it as much as I did... ^^'' So what's gonna happen now??

As a small spoiler for next chapter...we'll learn about the twins' and Ayame's apparent past together! I'm gonna love that chapter too...but it's also gonna be sad D:

Well, that's all for now! Next chapter will hopefully be out by the end of the week or a little later... As always, review, favorite...all that good stuff! Hope you liked it! :D


	7. Memories

**Yay updating! People! We've broken the 1000 views point and the 30 reviews point! I am so proud of everyone! xD I'm strange, I know... But I'm so glad that so many people read and love this story....it really means alot... ^^''**

**Anyway, this chapter is a flasback for a majority of it. So, I kept those parts in italics, and then the last part is back in present time. I labeled them so you don't be confused ^^ **

**I feel like I tried too hard with this...but oh well! Review, favorite, whatever! The more you do, the more inspiration I get! And most of all...ENJOY! :)**

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12 Years Before

_Yuzuha Hitachiin frowned down at her two four-year-old sons, "Now Hikaru…Kaoru…are you going to behave for our guests?" The two boys held onto each other's hand tightly as they responded, "Yes Mommy…" Their mother smiled and nodded, "Good. I'm sure you'll like the little girl. She's quiet but very sweet."_

_She left the boys' room and the two boys sighed. Hikaru turned to face his younger brother, "I don't wanna meet this family…" Kaoru scrunched up his face as he nodded, "Yeah, they sound really weird…" Regardless, they promised their mother they would behave…so they would._

_Sighing, the twins left their room and made their way through their mansion, hand in hand. Halfway to the front foyer, they heard the doorbell chime throughout the place. The twins glanced at each other as they continued walking and heard their mother exclaim, "I'm so glad you could make it Yuna-chan! Why hello Ayame-chan! You've gotten so big! Hikaru, Kaoru! Come down you two!"_

_Right on cue, the twins descended the stairs and joined the group. Their eyes scanned the two new people in their home: the older woman's complexion seemed slightly aged and she seemed really tired as she smiled at them. The littler girl who must have been their age had shoulder length brown hair and really bright green eyes. _

_Yuzuha walked behind the two and placed her hands on their heads, much to their dismay, "Yuna, Ayame, this is Hikaru and Kaoru." Yuna, the older woman, smiled politely, "My, you two are so cute. Go on Aya-chan, say hi."_

_Ayame studied the twins carefully and, instead of introducing herself, she asked, "Which one of you is which?" Yuna gasped slightly and silently scolded her daughter, but Yuzuha only giggled, "Don't worry Yuna-chan, many people ask them that."_

_Hikaru and Kaoru's eyes narrowed slightly as they chimed and pointed to one another as they spoke, "Hikaru…and Kaoru." However, the twins had lied and flip-flopped one another's identities. And, as they expected, nobody noticed. Then, Ayame smiled slightly in a strange way and nodded, "Nice to meet you two… I'm Ayame Hirano!"_

_Yuna smiled down at Ayame, "Why don't you three go play some place?" The twins cringed slightly but Ayame nodded happily and approached the two boys. There was a silence between the trio for a few moments, but then the twins turned around and began to walk away as they chimed, "Well, let's go then." Ayame blinked confusedly, but then shook her head and ran after them._

_Ayame trailed behind the two brother closely, making sure she didn't get lost. She bit her lip and finally said what she had debated on speaking of, "Uhm… Why did you two…lie before?" Hikaru and Kaoru suddenly stopped walking, but didn't turn around to face Ayame. Instead, they chimed, "What do you mean we lied?" Ayame frowned, "When you introduced yourselves… You said _you_ were Hikaru…" She poked the twin on her left on their shoulder and then turned to the one on the right and poked him in the shoulder, "…and that _you_ were Kaoru."_

_The twins cringed when she poked them but chimed once again, "And? That's who we are…" Ayame crossed her arms, "When you did say that, both of your eyes seemed frustrated and…mischievous I guess. So…I think you guys lied." The auburn-haired boys blinked as they turned halfway to look at the brown-haired girl. _

_She was smiling innocently at the two and they felt an uneasy feeling in their chests. Hikaru turned away from her stubbornly, but Kaoru turned around completely so he now faced her, "We're tired of nobody being able to tell us apart. So…since not even Mommy corrected us when we switched our names…"_

_Hikaru cut him off as he turned around quickly to look at Ayame as well, "…then what does it even matter if we switched or not?! We're the same person." The boys caught each other's hand in their own as they chimed monotone, "We're one…"_

_Ayame looked between the two, interested. She had met strange kids her age before, but none quite like these two brothers. Her smile grew wider as she played with the idea of seeing if she could befriend them successfully._

_She grinned this time as she walked right between the doppelgangers, breaking apart their locked hands as she strode her way down the hallway, "Well…what are we gonna play Hika-chan…?" Her eyes locked with Hikaru's and then she locked them with Kaoru's, "Kao-chan…?" _

_The twins cringed as she, once again, labeled them correctly. They really didn't want to let her into their world at all; it seemed too risky. But as she laughed at their silly blank faces, what they really wanted to do was pull her in through their door further…see what she was like._

**2 Years Later**

_Ayame ran down the hallway as fast as her legs could allow her, then turned a corner and pressed her back against the wall as she breathed deeply._

_When she relaxed, she held her breath as she poked her head around the corner, searching for her hunters. In the distance, she heard two identical voices yell, "Ayame-chan!! Give it back!" Ayame giggled to herself as she raised her voice, "You have to catch me first!" _

_She clutched the prize closely to her chest as she pressed her back to the wall once more. She could hear two sets of foot steps getting closer and closer to her position. But then suddenly, they sounded like they were fading._

_Ayame got confused and poked her head out from the corner again, but then gasped when two pairs of arms grabbed her and tackled her down to the floor. She laughed loudly as those arms were tickling her stomach violently, "H-Hikaru…K-Kaoru…st-stop!!"_

_Each twin was straddling one of her legs, preventing her from getting up. They smiled mischievously as they persisted with their tickling and chimed, "Give us back our lollipop first, Aya-chan!" Ayame couldn't stop laughing from the ticklish feeling all around her body, but she lifted the large lollipop up in the air in front of her, "F-Fine, just t-take it!"_

_Hikaru was the one to take as he looked at Kaoru and grinned in victory. Kaoru grinned back, but the two boys didn't get up from Ayame, but had stopped tickling her. Ayame caught her breath as she looked up at her two best friends. They were licking the lollipop in a teasing manner, one twin on each side of it._

_Ayame pouted, "Can you guys get off of me now?" The twins froze, both of their tongues still attacked to the lollipop. But then they stuck those tongues out down at their dearest friend and chimed, "Not a chance! That's what you get for stealing it!" Ayame gasped and then produced fake tears in her eyes, "You're so mean!"_

_After a few minutes, of teasing and begging of the lollipop, the two boys got up from Ayame and each held out a hand for her to take to tell her up. Ayame smiled up at them as she took both of their hands and they lifted her up. However, neither of them released her hand. _

_Ayame sighed as she predicted the time, "It must be about 6 PM. Mommy and Daddy wanted me home soon. Sooo…you gotta let me go now..." Hikaru and Kaoru frowned as they released Ayame's hands but then wrapped their arms around her shoulders. The way they were positioned, the entire scene looked perfectly mirrored._

_Hikaru leaned his head on her shoulder, "Don't leave yet Aya-chan!" Kaoru did the same as his older brother, "Yeah Aya-chan… I know! Why don't you just live with us!" Hikaru grinned, "That's a great idea Kaoru!" Ayame giggled, "Sillies…you know I can't _live_ here! I mean, I love being with you guys, but I love Mommy and Daddy too! They would be so sad if I left them."_

_The two boys held onto their best friend tighter, more protectively as they chimed softly, "But we love you more than they do…" Silence fell upon the three kids, but it was interrupted by a woman's loud voice, "Awww, what a cute scene! Thank goodness I have my camera on me!" The three looked ahead of them and saw the twins' mother approaching them._

_She giggled as she held the camera up to her face, "Now stay just like that and…!" A flash went off and the three kids blinked to get their vision back. The older woman giggled again as she got closer to the group, "You three are so cute! I'll make an extra copy for Yuna!" _

_Ayame smiled up at the woman, "Is Mommy's driver here for me yet Hitachiin-san?" Yuzuha nodded as she smiled back down, "Yup! Let's go then sweetie!" She held out a hand for Ayame to take and Ayame nodded in response. She tried to get free from the twins' hold, but they just tightened their hold. _

_She sighed deeply, but then smirked as she turned her head to Kaoru. He gave her a strange look but then she leaned in quickly and pressed her lips lightly to his cheek._

_Kaoru's breathing ceased for a moment as his face turned a light pink. Hikaru's eyes narrowed in jealously but then Ayame turned her head to him and pecked him on the cheek on well, leaving him pink in the face as well. Ayame took this chance to break free from their grasps and take Yuzuha's hand, who was giggling like a little girl as she led Ayame downstairs to her ride home._

_Hikaru and Kaoru both lifted a hand to their own cheeks where Ayame had kissed them, causing them to flush deeper. _

**A Few Days Later**

_The two doppelganger boys ran up to their mother's office and knocked on the door in a frenzy. Yuzuha answered the door with a pained expression on her face. Hikaru and Kaoru didn't notice her face though and chimed, "Why haven't we been able to see Ayame-chan lately?! We want an answer _now_!"_

_Yuzuha looked down at her sons, contemplating _something_. Finally, she sighed and knelt down to their level, "Hikaru…Kaoru… I didn't want to tell you until later on but…Yuna-chan has…cancer." The twins' eyes widened in shock; they've watched enough TV to know what cancer was…and how lethal it can be._

_Hikaru gulped hard as he spoke, "Will Yuna-chan…" Kaoru finished off the statement hesitantly, "…die?" Yuzuha sighed as she felt tears forming again, "I don't know. The doctors can't be sure yet. And Ryoma-san told me that Ayame has been devastated by the whole thing and refuses to talk to anybody."_

_Hikaru and Kaoru refused to take that as an answer as they quickly ran down to their foyer and demanded one of the butlers drive them to the Hirano estate. After a few minutes of arguing, he finally agreed. Before they all left, Yuzuha came down to the foyer and gave a piece of paper to Hikaru, "Give that to Ayame-chan to give to her Mommy then, okay?" _

_The two boys looked at the paper and saw it was the photo that their mother had taken of them and Ayame a few days ago. They nodded up to their mother and then they were on their way…_

_The boys ran up to the front door and pounded it. After a few moments, a maid answered and led the two to Ayame's room. She seemed skeptical as she knocked on her door, but then Ayame answered it and the maid gave a silent sigh of relief._

_Ayame saw the two boys and her eyes widened slightly, "Hitachiins…" Hikaru and Kaoru blinked, confused; Ayame never called them by their last name before. Regardless, they took a deep breath and chimed, "We heard about your mom. We're really sorry Ayame-chan…"_

_They drew closer to Ayame to hug her, but Ayame foresaw this coming and cringed immensely and stumbled backwards. The doppelgangers stared at their dear friend in shock as they chimed hushed, "Ayame-chan…what's the matter…?" Ayame crossed her arms in front of her torso defensively as she whispered, "I-I don't…"_

_She didn't finish her statement as she cringed again and her eyes clamped shut. Hikaru and Kaoru bit their lips in fear; it hurt them to see their friend in so much pain. They went to go closer to her again, but she only stumbled backwards again and exclaimed, "D-Don't come near me…! Don't touch me…" _

_The Hitachiins stared at Ayame in even more shock and hurt. However, they obeyed her and stood their ground. Hikaru dug into his pocket and took out the photo. He held it out to her, a small smile on his face, "Here Ayame-chan… Give it to Yuna-chan…" _

_Ayame gulped and reached out her arm and took the photo from his hand in a flash. She examined the photo…examined her face, the twins' faces…the way their arms snakes around her shoulders and held her tightly between the two of them…no chance of letting her go…_

_She gasped and, unconsciously, ripped the photo right down the middle. She sobbed loudly as she suddenly ran out of her own room, in between the two boys, and down the hall, dropping the two halves of the photo behind her._

"_Don't ever come near me again!"_

**Present Time**

Ayame could feel tears forming in her eyes as the memories came flooding back into her mind. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin…her closest childhood friends…

And she hadn't remembered them in the slightest.

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at Ayame and the wave of realization slowly taking over her facial expression. Truthfully, as soon as they saw Ayame when they went into their homeroom late that one day, they had recognized her immediately. And it didn't surprise them that she didn't recognize or remember them.

The boys had _loved_ Ayame as kids. In those years, they always questioned the feelings that they felt, but as they grew older, they didn't forget Ayame and they certainly didn't forget their feelings for her. It was those feelings that made them respect Ayame's decision and…not go near her again.

And they did listen, they really did. But after she showed up at the club, something was _begging_ them to pull Ayame through that door of theirs again. They wanted to see if Ayame would let _them_ into _her_ door as well, like so long ago.

Dammit, they wanted to know why the girl they loved pushed them out of her life without explanation…!

At first, they decided to play it cool, smooth, indirect…try and make her remember slowly at first and them probe answers out of her. But when they saw she was still like she was on the last day they saw her, they knew it wasn't going to be easy.

But then…today came. She correctly labeled Hikaru and she didn't even know she had.

They knew that deep down, she remembered them. So, they gave her the torn photo from 10 years before that they refused to throw away and, sure enough, she remembered.

Now, the main question remains: why did Ayame, their only and oldest _ex-_friend, leave Hikaru and Kaoru alone as they once had been without explanation?

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**Indeed, a good question...but I think we _all_ know the answer... *coughfathercough* . **

**Well...super duper quick sneak-peek for next chapter!: Hikaru and Kaoru stage a personal intervention with Ayame, and when they don't get the answers they want, they go to...drastic measures... :O**

**So, just another reminder to review and all that stuff. Hope you liked it! ^^**


	8. Need

**This is one of my strangest chapters yet. I was trying to figure out how to pull of the ending of this, so I chose the "straight forward" route xD You'll see what I mean.**

**That's it for now. More important stuff at the end. Review, favorite, and enjoyyy! :)**

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Ayame couldn't focus on anything except for her own thoughts. She was in shock that she actually _forgot_ the closest friends she ever had.

She was amazed that her plan had actually worked…

She remembered everything from that year now. On the day the photo was taken, Ayame had gone home and was presented with the news of her mother's diagnosis. That news was enough to make Ayame slip into a depressed state. However, it was the very next day that ruined her.

That was the day her father started…you know…

It didn't matter that Ayame didn't know exactly was going on; what _did_ matter was that it made her uncomfortable and she did _not_ enjoy it.

But…her _mother_ never did anything like that to her. Was it just fathers? Or…was it males? Did _all_ males do this?? …What about Hikaru and Kaoru…? Would _they_ do anything like this? Ayame recalled just the day before how they pinned her down and tickled her.

And when she asked them to stop…they hadn't…

All these thoughts went through her small, six-year-old mind and all she wanted was to be left alone and try to figure things out. She wouldn't talk to the servants, her parents (unless…unavoidable…), and she _certainly_ wouldn't speak to the Hitachiin twins, even if they be her… "best friends"…

A few days went by and Ayame had successfully secluded herself. However, one day there was a knock at her door. She grimaced, expecting it to be her father…but it was Hikaru and Kaoru. They had tried to comfort her about her mother, but her theory about their possible secret intentions haunted her mind and she wanted nothing to do with them.

"_Don't ever come near me again!"_

And they had listened… Even when they met her again on her first day at Ouran, they _still_ stayed away.

Ayame shook her head and mumbled, "I…don't know what to say…" Hikaru and Kaoru turned their attention to her; it was the first time she had said anything in the past few minutes. The two stood up from their seats and pointed down at Ayame as they chimed, "We want some answers."

She cringed; of course they would want answers… Regardless, she shook her head, "It doesn't even matter now…" This struck a nerve in the twins as they sighed exasperated, then they each grabbed one of Ayame's arms, startling her, and ran off with her into part of the music room.

Before she could even retort to the twins' actions, her surroundings went dark and she felt herself be put in a chair. Suddenly, a bright light flashed in her face, blinding her. She hissed slightly, "Get this out of my face…" Ayame heard two low growls, but then the lights went from in her face to above her head. She looked around and noticed that the light was the only one in this dark room and shined only over her.

But then, the twins walked up to her and stood a few feet in front of her, their arms crossed. Ayame narrowed her eyes, "What is this?!" The boys narrowed their eyes right back and chimed, "Why did you cut us off from your life so suddenly?" Ayame slumped her shoulders and shifted her eyes away from them, "I…was upset about my mother…"

Then, Hikaru and Kaoru got closer to her and went on either side of her. They then knelt down so they looked up at her slightly as they chimed, "You're lying." Their voices sounded confident and before Ayame got to retort, Hikaru spoke up on her left, "You slump your shoulders when you lie…" Kaoru spoke on her right this time, "And when you feel guilty or uncomfortable about something, you don't make eye contact…"

"It's been 12 years and you still haven't changed," they chimed. Ayame gulped slightly, "Neither have you two…" The boys cringed for a moment but then regained themselves, "Now tell us why you…!" She cut them right off as she stood up from the chair and turned to face the two boys, "I told you it doesn't even matter anymore! So just drop it, please!"

The Hitachiins stood up and went right in front of their old best friend, too close for her own comfort, and chimed, "If it doesn't matter, then why not just tell us?" Ayame looked down at the ground, trying to escape somehow, as their voices grew louder, "Why did you leave us alone?!"

Ayame's head shot up and her eyes narrowed, "As if you were alone! You guys have each other…you _always_ have each other!"

"We _have_ each other, but we _need_ you too!"

That comment made Ayame's face flush slightly as she stammered out, "Th-That's such a silly thing to say…! You have this host club and…!" Hikaru cut her off on his own, "You're our best friend Ayame-chan!" Kaoru then spoke, "We need our best friend in our lives again!"

Ayame's face was flushing deeper as she took a few steps backwards, "Wh-Why can't you guys just leave me alone…?" Hikaru and Kaoru wouldn't let her get far as they quickly went over to her, went on either side of her, and wrapped their arms around her shoulders as they whispered, "Because we love you Ayame-chan…"

Ayame's breathing ceased at their sudden closeness and her heart beat slowly increased. Her eyes clamped shut and she felt tears form as she somehow shook their arms off of her, "St-Stop…! You can't say things like that…! I know you want me to say that I'm sorry for pushing you out of my life but I'm _not_! How do I know you do it--…?!"

However, she wasn't able to stop herself quickly enough. The twins both narrowed their eyes; that was exactly what they wanted to hear, "Know we won't do _what_…Ayame…?" Ayame cringed, "N-Nothing! Just…leave me alone!!" And with that, she turned around and ran right out of the closest door, which was thankfully the exit.

Hikaru and Kaoru sighed and turned to each other. Hikaru crossed his arms, "Do you believe it _now_?!" Kaoru frowned and glanced at the floor, "I never said I didn't believe it…I just meant that it was unbelievable… But just because she said what we thought she would, we can't just assume…!"

Hikaru cut him off, "Which is why we're going through with…Plan Z…" The younger twin bit his lip, "It still seems drastic…" The older twin stepped closer to his brother and narrowed his eyes, "Well we can't just sit here and let it happen if it really is! Do you seriously think we should just…?!" Kaoru cut him off harshly, "No, of course not! It makes me _just_ as angry Hikaru! But we can't just go onto her property and try to witness it ourselves…"

Kaoru walked over to the lone chair that Ayame had sat in before and sat down himself. He leaned over, rested his elbows on his thighs, and then rested his head in his hands, "If it is true…and Hirano-san _is_ doing that to Ayame-chan…" Kaoru felt tears threatening his eyes, but then Hikaru noticed and went over to his brother and put his hands on his shoulders, "…then we'll do everything that we can to do stop it."

**Yesterday**

_Hikaru and Kaoru were totally bored…not like that was anything new. Even if Ayame Hirano had somehow found her way back into their lives, they couldn't even do anything about it. They had kept their one-sided promise for 10 years now…and they would continue with it._

_They'll just have to deal with the fact that she didn't remember them…_

_They both sighed and stood up from the couch as they looked around the room. The club hadn't opened yet so everyone was doing something random: Tono was trying to get Haruhi in girls' clothes, Honey-senpai taking his afternoon nap, Mori-senpai was watching over him, and Kyouya-senpai was looking at his laptop screen intently. _

_The boys' gazes set upon Kyouya; he looked much more intent on whatever it was he was doing than usual. Hikaru whispered to Kaoru, "He's been acting really strange since yesterday…" Kaoru nodded and whispered back, "Yeah, it was after Ayame came by and slapped him and said she hated him…" _

_So, since they were bored, the twins decided to find out exactly why Kyouya was acting so strangely. Phase one of that plan was to find out what he was looking at on his laptop. The two little devils looked at each other and smirked, then called out, "Hey Tono! We have a bet for you!" _

_Tamaki turned his attention from Haruhi to the twins and scoffed, "Like I would fall for one for your stupid jokes, you shady twins!" The twins frowned but then went over to their king and whispered to him, "If you succeed…we'll set up a date for you and Haruhi…" They watched as Tamaki turned scarlet as he glanced at the androgynous host and mumbled, "Wh-What do I have to do…?"_

_The Hitachiins secretly smirked at each other; he totally took their bait _way_ too easily…_

_Hikaru began the explanation, "It's very simple. Just take this rubber ball…" He held up a rubber ball and Kaoru finished for him, "…and throw it at Kyouya-senpai, just missing him." Tamaki's blush had faded as his eyes narrowed, "That's it…?" The twins nodded evilly, "That's it."_

_Tamaki thought it over for three seconds flat as he glanced at Haruhi again, took the ball from Hikaru's hand, and announced to the world, "I accept! Daughter, we _will_ have this date!" _

_Meanwhile, Haruhi stood in the corner solemnly, "…What are you saying senpai…?" Everyone ignored her as the twins watched Tamaki wind up his arms for his throw at Kyouya, who was still oblivious and stared at his laptop. Finally, Tamaki threw the ball at him, missing Kyouya by mere inches, and it hit the wall behind him. Kyouya was now _very_ aware of his surrounding as he looked up from his computer emotionless and stared at Tamaki, who cringed immensely. _

_Kyouya sighed as he got up form his seat and went over to Tamaki, "…I think we have to have a talk about throwing things in the music room Tamaki…" The prince of the host club gasped in fear as the shadow king took the back of his shirt and dragged him into the back room, "Noooo Mommy! It was all those shady twins' idea! NOOOO!"_

_All everyone heard now was the muffled screams of their king. Hikaru and Kaoru grinned at their victory and went over to look at the screen of Kyouya's laptop. After scanning it quickly, their eyes widened slightly; the website he had been on was full of several cases concerning incest, rape, molestation, and sexual abuse. _

_However, one specific case had been highlighted, most likely by Kyouya manually. It was about a case of a teenage girl who had been molested by her father since her childhood. Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other, apparently thinking the same thing as they chimed, "You don't think that…?" _

_Suddenly, the laptop screen was slammed shut, and when the twins looked up, by Kyouya himself. The two boys cringed as their vice-president stared down at them, "What are you two doing on my computer…?" Hikaru and Kaoru laughed nervously and chimed, "I-It was nothing! We weren't doing any--…!" _

_But they were cut off by the music room's main door being opened slowly. Tamaki, who miraculously recovered from his injuries from Kyouya, exclaimed, "We have guests! Quick, everyone in order!"_

_Everyone obeyed and watched as the door revealed…Ayame Hirano._

_They all gave their usual welcoming, but Hikaru and Kaoru nearly frowned at the sight of her._

"Is Ayame getting…abused by Hirano-san…?"

----------------------

Ayame tried her best to read over her homework for Poetry class, but was entirely unsuccessful. He mind was completely elsewhere. More specifically…on the twins.

She couldn't get over the idea that they tried to probe answers out of her so directly. Ayame's eyes narrowed as she got up from her desk area and went over to her bed, "We're not even _friends_ anymore…! What does it matter to them?? …Why can't they leave me alone…?"

She never wanted to admit it again, but she had…loved the twins when they were kids… When she was 5, she asked her mother _why_ she felt the way she did around her two best friends. Her mother's response? _Love._

Ayame groaned and fell back on her bed as she mumbled out loud, "I don't…feel that way anymore… I don't _love_ them anymore…" Suddenly, there was a loud bang from outside her balcony doors that cause Ayame to sit up quickly. It was dark outside, since it was 9 PM and all, so she couldn't really see anything.

Standing up, she went over to her balcony doors to open them and look around. Just before she reached for the handles, her main door opened to reveal her father. Ayame groaned internally and turned away from the balcony doors and faced Ryoma.

He smiled at her from the door, "You were rather late form school today…" Ayame's face flushed in annoyance as she gulped, "Y-Yeah, Biology is kind of hard in Ouran s-so I decided to stay after for extra study time…" Ryoma nodded in understanding, "Right… Science was never your best subject… Just tell me next time you're going to be late…"

Ryoma approached Ayame so he was standing right in front of her, towering over her, and put a hand to her cheek. Ayame flinched as her father spoke, "I was so worried about you…" Ayame gulped again as she took a few steps backwards, "R-Right, will do…"

Sighing, Ryoma got closer to his daughter again, closing their distance between each other, "Aya-chan… Don't make this any harder than it needs to be…" Ayame bit her lip and tried to step back again, but her father got a hold of her arms and threw her onto the bed.

He hovered over her as he quickly began unbuttoning her black button-down shirt to reveal her black bra. She silently cursed herself for not wearing a tanktop underneath it.

Ryoma bent down and bit at his daughter's flawless skin hungrily. He moved around quickly from her lips, neck, jaw line, lips again, and then a straight line down to her upper chest.

Ayame's eyes shut tightly, praying for it all to stop.

Hikaru and Kaoru's eyes, however, were wide open as they stared at the horrid scene before them.

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**Cliffhangers! I love them! D I'm so evil... I almost didn't want the twins to find out this way, but then I thought, 'Hmm...but it's so much more DRAMATIC!' ^^ **

**Well, I will be going on vacation starting tomorrow morning and won't be back until Friday night. And then I have work all weekend so my next update won't be until later next week... =/ Please don't give up on me yet though! **

**Please review and give me your feedback...it always means alot to me ^^**


	9. Important PLEASE Read

---------Even NEWER update xD: Since the polls closed now, and the decision has been made (i won't spoil it for the new readers...even if its onvious ;D), I was gonna take this chapter down all together. But, oh well, might as well keep my new readers updated too right? . ---------

****NEW UPDATE: Poll is now **_visible_** in my profile...my bad xD Please, I know you've already given your reviews on your choices, but please vote reardless ^^''

Hello readers!

No, it's not a new chapter...but please read this for it is very beneficial to the both of us...

You see, we have reached a point in the story where Ayame must begin to produce _feelings_ for one of our favorites hosts. I have stated that my story is a HikaOCKao and a onesided KyoOC....however....

I like my stories to be jointed with my fans' interests. I want all opinions heard and I want you all for my inspiration.

Therefore, _you_, my readers, will be choosing the final love interest.

I have created a poll in my profile with a list of choices as followed:

Kaoru  
Hikaru  
Kyouya  
All Three  
Kaoru AND Hikaru (and when I say both, I mean **both**. If chosen, **both** will have Ayame)  
None of the Above

I do strongly recommend, for my sake and yours, that you **_vote on this poll._** Also, though it is not necessary, **_review or pm me a reason why you chose the person you chose and how you may want the love interet to be portrayed._**

Please note that ideas may not be used. No hard feelings, but I _do_ have an idea for my story. However, I can alter it to the best of my ability; I have ideas for all choices :)

I WILL be using the winning choice when polls close on **_AUGUST 1st._**

I thank you for reading this and I hope you all vote, especially all my faithful readers ^^ As said in chapter 8, I'm going away on vacation tomorrow and will be back Friday night. I hope to see lots of votes, reviews, and favoriting when I return. ^^

Also, remember that chapter 10 will not be out until **_next Wednesday at the earliest._** Please be patient ^^


	10. Safe

**I'm back! And I feel so refreshed! ^^ So, I got like...2 sentences done while I was away, but then got writer's block... xD Oh well, here's chapter 10 earlier than I anticipated! :D**

**In case some of you haven't look, I was finally able to get the poll to actually be _seen_in my profile... xD My bad... So to make it easier for me, please re-vote on that. I started to mentally tally the votes in reviews / pms, but just so there aren't any double votes on any choices *shifty-eyes* xP**

**So far, the popular votes are Kaoru AND Hikaru...and Hikaru himself. (I might make the deadline longer, just btw ^^) And, not that it really matters, I've removed the 'Kyouya' and 'All three' choices. I'll keep it to a one-sided Kyouya ;D**

**Sooo, sorry if this chapter sucks, despite the SUSPENSE!! :O I guess I'm still in a trance from vacation... o.o'' So review, vote, favorite, and most of all...enjoy! :D**

* * *

**A while before**

Hikaru and Kaoru stepped out of their limo that parked just down the street from Ayame's mansion. They still hadn't forgotten where it was. And why were they down the street? Well, simple, they didn't want to look suspicious.

Because parking down the street wasn't suspicious enough...

As the two walked up the street to their old friend's manor, they were silent. Occassionaly, both would glance at each other and go to make conversation...but were then lost for words.

Finally, they were just a few yards away from the Hirano manor. The twins stopped walked and stared at the very long mansion, memories re-entering their minds. Hikaru clenched his fists at his side, "Her room was on the third floor on the right side of the building...right?" Kaoru frowned at his brother, getting anxious himself, "You remember just as well as I do Hikaru."

Hikaru growled and turned to face Kaoru, "Look, I'm just nervous is all! I mean, what if we...?" Kaoru cut him off harshly, "What if we actually find out that Hirano is molesting Ayame?!" Hikaru flinched at his brother's word choice, and so did Kaoru. Regardless, Kaoru continued, "I don't know what we'll do Hikaru..."

Both of the boys turned to the large mansion and narrowed their eyes. Hikaru bit his lip, "I'd kick that guy's ass if he's doing that to her...!" Kaoru gulped, "If anything, we should make sure she's safe and get her our of there ASAP..." The older twin turned back to Kaoru, "Like she'd come with us!"

Kaoru stared at the ground for a moment before glaring at Hikaru, but not directly aiming it at him, "We'll make her..."

After finally gathering the courage, the twins made their way to the right side of the Hirano mansion and stopped at a familiar white ladder lined with vines. Years ago, the boys would use this ladder to sneak up into Ayame's room and scare her out of her bones...

They both looked straight up and saw the also-familiar balcony that led into Ayame's room.

The sky was already blackened, so it would make hiding easier for the two boys already clad in black clothing.

The ladder was wide enough for the two of them to go up at the same time, so they approached it...but didn't being their ascending. They glances at each other before nodding in encouragement and grasping onto the old ladder.

As soon as they got to the top, they got onto the balcony quietly, knelt down to the ground, and knelt their backs to the wall of the balcony. The further they were from the window, the less chance that they would be seen by whoever was inside.

Hikaru and Kaoru's eyes searched the room, and then they found their dearest brunette friend sitting at her desk, her back to them. Suddenly, Ayame shot up from her seat and sat on her bed. Now, she was in full view for the twins...but the same went for them. Luckily, their plan was so far succeeding and, despite the fact she was nearly looking right at them, she couldn't see them.

The boys then recalled how all of Ayame's walls were nearly paper-thin, since they heard her speak, "We're not even _friends_anymore…! What does it matter to them?? …Why can't they leave me alone…?" Hikaru and Kaoru instantly knew she was talking about them. They leaned alittle closer to the window so they could see and hear her better.

They watched as Ayame then leaned herself back on her bed and nearly mumble inaudibly, "I don't…feel that way anymore… I don't _love_ them anymore…"

This comment made both of the twins blush and caused them to fall forwards onto their stomachs, causing a loud bang to echo. They both cringed and quickly sat their backs against the wall again.

Their hearts banged in their ears as they saw Ayame sit up and look right at them. But since she didn't really react in any way, they assumed she still couldn't see them.

However, she then stood up from her bed and made her way to the balcony doors. Hikaru and Kaoru both gasped suddenly and then stared at each other in shock for their sudden noises and covered the other's mouth with their own hands.

Their grip on each other only increased in pressure as Ayame drew closer to the doors. The twins clamped their eyes shut, waiting to be caught...but then they heard Ayame's soft voice, "Y-Yeah, Biology is kind of hard in Ouran s-so I decided to stay after for extra study time…" The Hitachiins opened their eyes and saw Ayame still next to the balcony doors, but facing the other direction.

They sighed softly in relief, but kept their holds on each other and their hands on the other's mouths to keep any random noises from escaping their lips.

They then heard a male's voice, "Right… Science was never your best subject… Just tell me next time you're going to be late…" Both boys growled softly at the familiar voice from years ago; Ryoma Hirano... They watched as the older man entered their visions...and into Ayame's personal bubble.

Hirano stood _very_close to Ayame, too close for their own comfort, and then he rose his hand and held it to Ayame's cheek, "I was so worried about you…" The twins watched as Ayame cringed noticeably and stumbled backwards, "R-Right, will do..."

It was obvious that Ayame was uncomfortable with her father's actions towards her...and just him in general. Hikaru went to speak into Kaoru's hand, but Kaoru just pressed his hand against Hikaru's mouth harder. It was his way of saying 'It's not definite yet.'.

Suddenly, Hirano drew closer to Ayame again so he was just as close to her as before. The twins heard him whisper, "Aya-chan… Don't make this any harder than it needs to be…" They saw Ayame bite her lip and try to step back, but her father got a hold of her arms.

The boys then watched as the older man threw their old friend onto her own bed and then hover over her. And if that wasn't enough, he then unbuttoned her shirt and bit at her skin.

Hikaru and Kaoru watched in horror, then eventually couldn't watch at all as they saw Ayame's start to cry. They still held onto each other like before, but the twins now shut their eyes tightly...not wanting to see their friend in pain.

But their sight wasn't the only thing they had to worry about; they then heard Ayame start _begging_ that bastard to stop...but her sobs, pleas, and whimpering continued...

Hikaru's plan to beat Hirano to a pulp...Kaoru's plan to ensure Ayame's safety...their plans weren't even _existent_. All they could do was sit here, huddled against each other, and live through Ayame's personal Hell with her indirectly.

What felt like hours, but was only minutes later, everything stopped. Ayame's cries, begging, and the sound of human skin against each other was all gone. Hikaru and Kaoru finally opened their eyes but didn't release each other. Their hands were even still over the other brother's mouth.

Their eyes landed upon Ayame, who was now sitting up on her bed. She was looking up at the sky out the balcony windows. The moonlight hit her perfectly and the boys could see the familiar sparkle in her green eyes, but could also see the tear stains on her cheeks.

Her asshole father was nowhere to be seen and the twins both mentally cursed his soul 1000 times over.

Ayame sighed to herself as she stood up from her bed and went over to table and looked over her Poetry homework. She still couldn't figure it out.

Suddenly, she got overly frustrated and banged her fists on the table, "God _dammit_...!" She fell onto her chair and buried her head in her arms onto the desk. She cried to herself softly, desperately trying to get rid of her misery.

Then...she could have sworn she was going crazy. She felt two pairs of arms wrap around her shoulders on either side of her; ...she didn't dare look up and see her figurative demons trying to kill her...

Regardless, Ayame lifted her head out of her arms and peripheral vision saw...the Hitachiin twins...? At first she thought she was losing her mind, but they felt all to real against her body...

Ayame yelped out and suddenly fell backwards out of her chair and onto the floor, causing the twins to release her in surprise. She looked up at the two mirrored auburn-haired images as they stared down at her solemnly right back. She heard their chimed voices, "Ayame-chan..." She cringed; they were _definitely _real...

Quickly standing up and then walking several feet backwards, Ayame stammered, "H-H-How did you guys get in here?!" Emotionlessly, they pointed behind her. She looked behind her to see her balcony doors wide open now.

She blinked a few times; had _they_ been the loud noise she heard earlier...?

But wait...she heard that much earlier, before her father had come in... Did they...?!

Ayame turned back to the twins and went to yell at them, but they were suddenly right in front of her as they wrapped their arms around her torso and held her close to them.

She cringed immensely; they were _much_too close for comfort right now...and they did it so shamelessly...!! Ayame whimpered and tried to push them away, "L-Let me g--...!" However, one of the twins cut her off, "How could you be so stupid...?!" His voice was higher than the two...Hikaru... The other one, Kaoru, spoke softer, "We could have helped you..."

Before Ayame could respond, the two chimed, "We could have made it stop...!"

Ayame's eyes widened as she subconsciously stopped trying to push them away and whispered, "You...saw...? You...know...??"

The way they held onto her tighter was all the answer she needed.

She suddenly felt a chill go down her spine and somehow escaped their grips and stepped backwards, "G-Get out...! Y-You can't ever speak of this incident ever...! Do you understand me?? Never!" Hikaru and Kaoru stared at her in astonishment. Hikaru hissed at her, "He's _not _going to get away with this Ayame...!" Kaoru's eyes narrowed as he nodded, "He won't ever touch you again... We'll especially make sure of that..."

Ayame shook her head violently, "N-No...! You can't get involved...!" The twins narrowed their eyes more at her and chimed, "Do you _want_this to continue?!" Ayame's eyes shut tightly as she felt tears forming and she blurted out, "I-I don't want him to hurt you two...!"

The twins' eyes widened and Ayame's eyes shot open in surprise of herself. Did she really just say that...? She felt her face heat up as she attempted to contemplate the meaning of her words.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other for a moment before chiming, "You're coming home with us." Ayame's eyes widened and her face flushed even more as she stammered, "Wh-What?! Absolutely _not...! _Why would I even _consider_ going to _your_...??"

The twins cut her off, "We don't care if you trust us or not, you're coming home with us. You can't stay _here_ anymore. Staying with us would much more safe than being with _that_ bastard..."

Ayame's eyes widened even more and her face was blood red by now.

They were trying to..._help_her...just like Kyouya Ootori...

Another _male_ was attempting to save her...

Ayame's eyes shut tight as she whispered, "I can't just...leave..." Hikaru and Kaoru growled softly but chimed, "We'll arrange it." Ayame reopened her eyes and suddenly found Hikaru in front of her face.

He growled at her as he searched her eyes, "You _will_be staying at our house, starting tomorrow after school." Before Ayame could even retort, he turned on a heel and ram out the balcony doors. Her eyes widened when she saw him jump over the wall and down to the ground.

Before she could speak, Kaoru approached her and leveled their faces and their eyes met. He frowned when he finally spoke, "I really wish that you would come with us tonight... The sooner you were away from here, the better..."

Ayame noticed Kaoru lean in towards her a little more, but Ayame stammered out, "K-Kaoru..." Her speaking of his name caused Kaoru to freeze and lean back from her cheek he was about to set his lips upon. He flushed slightly before turning around and jumping down from the balcony as Hikaru had.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked up at the balcony for a few seconds before turning the other way and walking down the road slowly in silence.

_As much as we don't want to...we'll respect your words and keep quiet...for now..._

_

* * *

_

**Ohh my goshness! THE DRAMA BEGINS! :O**

**This chapter was hard to write because I wasn't sure what I wanted the twins to do about finding out about Ayame's secret... Like, should I have them kill Ryoma (that'd be sweet... xD), have them kidnap Ayame against her will (certainly debateable with her androphobia and all...), but in the end I decided it to be this way. What is 'this way'? Well...I dunno how to explain it. Just read later chapters to find out...but I don't have to tell you to do that. You all will anyway :D**

**Uhm...not much to say right now. Chapter 11 will be a while before its updated, since I have work and all... =/ *sigh* But please be patient!**

**Anyway, remember to review, VOTE, favorite...you know, the usual... ^^ And, of course, I hope you enjoyed! :D**


	11. Tutor

**O.o _SUPER IMPORTANTE INFO AT THE END OF CHAPTER! MAKE SURE YOU READ IT!!!!!!!_ o.O**

**Haha, anyway...sorry about the delay with this chapter, but I hope it's worth it! ^^ I'm sooo excited for the future chapters... :P**

**As for the poll goes, Hikaru AND Kaoru are pretty much the winner...but I'll wait a few days before closing the poll... Cuz...you know...maybe there will be a huge turn of votes on Hikaru or Kaoru... o.0 0.o No? Oh...TOO BAD! xD**

**But yeah, look forward to the final pairing being HikaruxAyamexKaoru, in which BOTH of the twins will be with Ayame. I hope you're all aware of that =/**

**Now...enough of this. Review, VOTE IF YOU HAVEN'T, favorite, and most of all...enjoy! :)**

* * *

Ayame glanced to her right awkwardly at the twin sitting a few feet away from her. As she looked closer, she now knew it was Kaoru. He was currently looking down at a notebook and writing down whatever…but then would get a look of frustration on his face and cross whatever it was out.

She then moved her eyes past him and past Haruhi to glance at Hikaru, who was staring out the window next to him. He was tapping his fingers against his desk quickly and Ayame couldn't see his facial expression since his back was to her.

Sighing, Ayame looked down at her desk and stared at her Biology homework that she forgot to do the night before. Her eyes narrowed; in all technical standards…she hadn't lied last night: she really _did_ have trouble with science class this year… She was getting frustrated; her mind was preoccupied with last night's events.

In the end, she decided to just write down random nonsense for answers. As she was writing, she sensed two people in front of her. Ayame lifted her eyes to see the Hitachiin twins…of course… She looked back down at her homework, "Yes?"

Hikaru and Kaoru looked down at her in half-annoyance and half-sympathy, "Come to the Host Club after school today." Ayame nearly rolled her eyes, "I was going to anyway. I promised Kyouya-senpai I would, remember? Gotta pick a…type or whatever he and Suou were going on about." The twins twitched slightly and chimed, "Who are you choosing…?"

Ayame's writing ceased suddenly; she never really thought about it… She _knew_ Suou was definitely not on her list of choices, and Kyouya probably wouldn't be such a good idea either.

She glanced off to the side and mumbled, "I don't know yet…" The two boys frowned and went to speak, but Haruhi's voice cut them off, "Hey Ayame-san…" Ayame quickly turned her head to look up at Haruhi, who now stood next to the twins. Haruhi smiled down at Ayame and Ayame smiled back whole-heartedly, "H-Haruhi-chan, hello…!"

Haruhi nodded, "So, I heard about what happened…" Ayame froze and instantly glanced at the twins, who cringed at her stare, "R-Really…?" Haruhi nodded again, "Yeah, Tamaki-senpai told me. Something about you shutting him down and what-not… But other than that, your rounds seemed to go well…?"

Ayame sighed in relief internally, and then nodded in response, "Y-Yes. I'm still…unsure as to who I trust the most though." Unconsciously, Ayame glanced at the twins. Hikaru and Kaoru blinked when she had looked at them and then raised their eyebrows curiously.

Ayame felt her face heat up and looked back down at her Biology homework. However…it wasn't there… Ayame stared at her blank table unsurely; she was almost positive she was insane now.

However, she heard who _had_ to be Hikaru, "What the _hell_ are you writing down Ayame??" Ayame blinked and looked up to see Hikaru and Kaoru looking at a piece of paper…her homework. She growled, "Give me back my homework…!"

Kaoru spoke this time, "Are you having trouble with Biology class Ayame-chan?" She cringed slightly but then covered it up with a harsh glare, "You should know; you guys _were_ eavesdropping last night…" Haruhi had already walked away so she hadn't heard that, and their homeroom's attention was elsewhere.

The twins cringed this time and chimed, "We just assumed you were lying…" Getting frustrated, Ayame got up from her desk and grabbed back her homework from the twins' hands, "Well, I was. I'm doing just fine in Biology class, mind you! I could just care less about this stupid homework assignment…!" Hikaru and Kaoru smirked very smally, "That's not what your quiz from yesterday says… You got a 73."

Ayame's eyes widened slightly; her Biology class _did_ have a quiz the day before… She then narrowed her eyes at the two boys, "How did you know I had a quiz yesterday?! A-And how do you know my grade?!" The twins looked at each other and tilted their heads, then looked back at Ayame, "We're in your class Ayame-chan… We sit a few rows behind you…"

That totally caught her off guard… She had no idea they were in her class… Then, their voices cut off her thoughts, "We're also in your Geometry, Poetry, and Lunch hour…did you really not know?" Ayame didn't answer, but her silence was all the answer the two boys needed.

The three stood in an awkward silence until the twins broke it, "We could help you in Biology Ayame-chan…?" Ayame broke out of her trance and narrowed her eyes, "I don't _need_ your help…!"

She meant that in more ways than one. And the twins knew that and cringed slightly.

Finally, homeroom was over and Ayame ran ahead of the rest of the class to go to her Geometry class. Every time she went to class, any class, she would stare at her desk until class began. She never looked anywhere other than her desk or the board…never her _male _instructors.

But today…Ayame looked carefully at the door. Students piled in the classroom and, sure enough, the twins entered. Ayame somehow made eye contact with both of them, but then broke it by staring down at her desk. She sensed them walk past her and then sit 2 rows behind her.

She could feel their stares on her and she was getting very uncomfortable, very quickly.

The same went for her Poetry class. Ayame found out where they sat in classes and was surprised they hadn't stood out to her a few days ago.

But then again, her plan to push them out of her life _was_ successful…or rather _had_ been successful.

Finally, Biology class came and the same happened once again. And when class did begin and they got their quizzes back, sure enough she had gotten a 73. Ayame groaned internally; it was going to be a killer getting her grade up to a B at least.

Class ended and before Ayame got to leave, her instructor called her up to him, "Hirano, just a moment." Ayame turned from the door to look at her teacher and saw him _and _the Hitachiins standing at the teacher's desk.

Ayame's eyes narrowed at the twins, but she went over to them regardless, "Y-Yes sensei…" He frowned down at her, "It's about your quiz and your grade in general. Your record states you got straight A's while you were in Lobelia. Is the course not to your liking?" Ayame shook her head and answered without missing a beat, "No, it's fine. It just…takes me awhile to fully adjust to new classes is all…"

Hikaru and Kaoru scoffed quietly; the teacher hadn't noticed but Ayame did and she threw a hard glare at them. Her teacher sighed, "Nevertheless, Hikaru and Kaoru here have kindly offered to be your tutor until your grades improve."

Ayame's mouth gaped open and her eyes widened, "Wh-What?? No…I can bring my grade up myself, I promise…!" Her teacher frowned at her, "I'm sorry Hirano, but it's already been settled. The Hitachiins already receive all A's in this course and were kind enough to offer their services to you every day after school at their home. You should be very thankful to them."

Ayame was enraged as she stared at the twins. So _this_ was their plan; to ensure she wasn't home as much as they could. She glared at the two hard, as if silently saying, "This isn't going to change a _thing_!"

However, Hikaru and Kaoru were completely relieved. Now, they could get their friend away from her bastard father as much as they could. They _had_ caught Ayame's glare; they did know that it really would change anything that would happen during the late nights at her house.

At least now they could be near her again…protect her to the best of their ability and still respect her request of not telling anybody about what they had learned the night before.

They hated that request dreadfully…but they loved Ayame more.

---------------------

The Host Club stared at Ayame carefully. She was getting restless with this whole ordeal. She had to make her decision as to who she trusted the most out of these males before their sessions started. That gave her…1 minute now.

Ayame growled softly; the only she knew was who she _wasn't_ going to choose: Suou, Kyouya…and the twins. Even if they were trying to help her with her… "home problem"…she didn't want to have to deal with them at the Host Club and _then_ at their house afterwards.

Finally, after a few more seconds, Ayame nodded, "Alright, I got it." The other instantly perked up and focused their attention fully on Ayame. She closed her eyes lightly, "In the end, I trust…"

They all leaned in slowly as the tension was building.

"…Nobody."

Everybody's mouths gaped open and they groaned out exasperated. Ayame's eyes narrowed, "This is so stupid! Not to sound weird or anything, but how can I trust any of you if I don't trust males in general?!" Tamaki narrowed his eyes right back at her, "Then I'll just have to choose for you!"

Ayame cringed; he would totally choose himself…! Before she got to retort, she sensed two familiar people stand behind her and put their hands on both her shoulders, "We'll be her choice then." Ayame's body twitched under the twins' touch and she turned around to face them.

When she had turned, they ended up being much too close to her. Ayame's face flushed and she stepped backwards, "Wh-Why should it be _you_ two?! I already have to deal with you after this!" Hikaru and Kaoru frowned at their old friend and chimed, "Exactly. The more time you spend with us, the more you'll come to trust us." Ayame bit her lip, "And what makes you think the opposite won't happen? What if I just end up hating you even more?!"

That caught the twins off guard as they chimed softly, "You…hate us…?" Ayame's eyes widened as she realized what she had said and put a hand over her mouth suddenly, "I-I didn't mean…I mean I guess I did, but I didn't… I'm…" She wasn't really _sure_ what she had meant. Did she really hate them? Or was it just that she meant she might end up hating them?

Ayame eyes shut tightly; this was exactly what she had wanted to avoid 10 years ago. She didn't want to have mixed and complex emotions toward Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. She had come to terms that she had loved them as kids, but she _refused_ to feel that way now. Not after what happened back then.

The Hitachiin twins were males…and would be no different than her sadistic father.

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at Ayame carefully; the fact that she was lost for words proved that she didn't hate them. But that didn't mean that she trusted them. So, that's _partially_ what their plan was for: to make her trust them again. Of course, they wanted to get Ayame away from her father as much as possible…but the twins couldn't help but be just _alittle_ selfish…

After a few minutes of arguing and complaining, Hikaru and Kaoru were Ayame's designated types. Ayame sat in between several others girls, who were currently leaning forward on their couch and staring at the twins in awe.

"Hikaru…they're all staring at us…!"

"Let them stare! I'm happy knowing your eyes will always be on me…"

"Hikaru…!"

The two brothers drew closer to each other as the girls all squealed in delight. Ayame tried her best to not be rude and put her hands over her ears to prevent them from blowing out. Instead, she leaned her back on the couch, trying to relax. Her eyes were fixated on the floor, but she listened carefully to the twins.

How stupid was this plan anyway? How was watching these two "incestuous" brothers going to help her trust males? All she was getting from this experience was a sick stomach, broken eardrums, and a massive headache.

But…she said she would stay…so she would. All she was to do was sit here for all of Hikaru and Kaoru's sessions and watch them, carefully. And she did.

However, she _still_ wasn't getting anything out of it.

Finally, the Host Club closed and Ayame sighed, exasperated as she mumbled, "Well thank goodness that's over…" She suddenly heard the twins behind her, "Seriously. Could you have _looked_ more bored?" Ayame turned around and saw the two identical boys crossing their arms at her. She rolled her eyes, "As if, I wasn't bored, just…weirded out. I don't take kindly to yaoi or anything like that…"

Hikaru and Kaoru pouted and chimed, "Such a shame. Luckily for you, you get to endure it for another 3 hours." Ayame's eyes widened, "Th-Three hours?! I-I'm not staying at your house until 8…!" The twins smirked as they drew closer to her, but Ayame surprisingly stood her ground, "Too bad because you have no choice." Ayame growled softly before turning on a heel, grabbing her bag from a nearby couch and starting for the door as she called out, "Let's get this over with then!"

The boys looked at each other, frowned slightly, but then followed their friend out of the music room. However, they stayed a good distance behind her as Hikaru took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, it's Hikaru. Yeah everything's fine… No we didn't get arrested for our act…! God… Okay…okay stop! I just need a favor. Can you call Ryoma Hirano and tell him that his daughter is going to be late tonight coming home. Tell him the Hitachiin family is taking good care of her. …No we are _not_ going to take advantage of her! _Goodbye_!"

He flipped the phone shut and Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Which maid was that?" Hikaru rolled his eyes, "The psycho twin ones." The younger twin looked up at the ceiling, "Yeah…they are psycho…"

Like they could talk…

**(A/N: This is what I call…"comedic relief". xD)**

--------------------

Ayame chewed at her pencil eraser as she glared at the homework in front of her, "So…this is the…_long_ intestine…?" Hikaru and Kaoru smirked, "Bzzzt, you got it wrong! It's the _short_ intestine." The brunette girl groaned and she sat up from her laying down position on her stomach, "That makes no sense at all!" The twins shrugged as they remained laying down on their stomachs, "It's Biology…it's not _supposed_ to make sense."

Ayame sighed as she looked over her already finished homework; the twins were making her stay there for another hour since it was only 7, so they were just studying now. However, as she sat cross-legged on the floor with the twins across from her as they lay down on the floor as well, a memory triggered.

She recalled how, as kids, the three would sit on this same floor and color with each other.

Ayame's eyes narrowed as she stood up quickly, "…I don't wanna study anymore…" Hikaru and Kaoru sighed in relief as they stood up as well. Hikaru stretched out his arms, "Thank God, we thought it would never stop…" Kaoru yawned softly, "We were hoping you would give up eventually." Finally, the two chimed together, "We were getting so bored…"

Ayame went to say something, but the sudden loud rumbling in her stomach cut her off. She flushed in embarrassment, "Er…" The Hitachiins grinned widely, "Sounds like Aya-chan is _hungry_…" The girl glared at them slightly, "I-I haven't eaten dinner yet, obviously…" The two boys glanced at each other before smirking and approaching Ayame, then grabbing either of her arms and dragging her out of their room, "Let's go to the kitchen then!"

As they dragged her down to their kitchen, Ayame struggled against them, "L-Let me go…! Please…!" However, the twins only laughed, "Not a chance Ayame-chan!" She flushed slightly, but after a few moments, stopped struggling. The boys were actually amazed that she _had_ stopped…

When the three reached the large kitchen, Hikaru and Kaoru released their friend to search their refrigerator. Ayame leaned back against the counter as she watched the two in amusement. They were frantically searching for _something_, until they called out as they continued to search, "Ayame-chan, do you still like apples with peanut butter?"

Something in Ayame twitched as her eyes widened; they…remembered…? She shook her head slightly, "Y-Yeah…"

Hikaru and Kaoru sensed the surprised tone in her voice and smiled slightly; of _course _they remembered one of the few things that made Ayame unconditionally happy, not matter what the circumstances were.

Finally, they found the jar of peanut butter and bowl of already-sliced apples and showed them to Ayame, "Dinner is served!" Ayame blinked as she stared at the food longingly, "For…dinner…?" Hikaru and Kaoru smirked as they got closer to Ayame, but her attention was on the apples and peanut butter, so she didn't move an inch.

The Hitachiin twins flushed slightly at the loving, happy sparkle in her eyes that they hadn't seen in 10 years, but dreamed about nearly every night. However, they bit their lips as they whispered, "Do you not want it…?" Ayame's muscles tensed as she shook her head quickly, "N-No…! I'll have them…"

The three teens went back to the twins' room and sat on the floor, their backs pressed against the bed. Somehow, Ayame ended up being in the middle of the two boys, and all three were rather close together.

However, Ayame hadn't noticed since she was completely in ecstasy from her peanut butter covered apple slices. Hikaru and Kaoru didn't eat at all; instead, they watched their friend carefully.

"Why do you always go back home Ayame…?"

Their question was sudden and nearly made Ayame choke on her apple slice. However, when she recovered, she also came out of her ecstasy-state and noticed how close the twins were. She cringed and went to stand up, but the twins lightly put their hands on either of her arms. Ayame froze and flushed under their touches as she whispered, "Well…why do _you_ guys persist with our friendship…?? We're not even friends anymore…!" Her voice started to raise, "Stop acting like we're 6 again and face reality…!"

The twins, however, weren't affected by her words. Instead, they chimed softly as their eyes stared at her intently, "Stop spouting nonsense to avoid the question Ayame-chan. Your hands twitch when you do that… Now answer us: why do you always go back?!"

Ayame cringed as she glared at the bowl of apples, "I have no choice… If I leave…he'll ruin my chances at becoming a novelist…" She paused and the twins went to speak, but she beat them to it, "Now answer _me_… Why do you persist with me…?!"

Instead of answering her question, the twins leaned in closer to Ayame and wrapped their arms around her shoulders, causing her to go frozen. She went to tell them to let her go, but their soft voices chimed, "Stay here with us Ayame-chan… Why won't you live with us…?"

Ayame nearly lost her breath as she shook her head in astonishment, "A-Are you guys insane…?! I belong at my own house, with my…father..." She knew…she knew exactly where this was going; the moment was very familiar to her.

She remembered and knew exactly what was going to happen…but she didn't stop it.

Somewhere, deep down, she _wanted_ them to say it…

Hikaru and Kaoru leaned their foreheads to her temples and their lips brushed her cheeks very lightly at the same time. Ayame's face turned maroon and she started to shake.

"But we love you more than he does…so much more…"

* * *

**Awwww, so cute.......I'M SO DAMN LONELY!! D: ....Okay I'm done. ^^''**

**What on Earth is happening to Ayame and the twins' relationship??! It's obvious that the twins love her still...but what about on Ayame's side?? :O That's pretty much what the next chapter will focus on. :D**

***ahem* Also, I've made the decision of making a oneshot that will contain a _full, all-out, and detailed version of Ayame's abuse from her father._ Yeah, remember back in the day when I debated about that? (lol) Well, the decision has been made.**

**The reason I'm doing this is so that you, my readers, can better understand and sympathize Ayame. By reading an in-depth scene between Ayame and her father, you can kind of become one with her and understand her on a more personal level. **

**...Just a final reminder to review, vote, and favorite! Hope you liked this chapter! :D**


	12. Revelation

**Yeah, so, uh...sorry?? D: AHHH I'VE JUST BEEN SO BUSY LATELY WITH WORK AND DRAMA AND AHHH!! xD Anyway, at least I finally updated right?? **

**This is probably the most confusing chapter thus far, but it's supposedddd to be. It really gets inside Ayame;s head, which is pretty much utter chaos. =/**

**Now..enough talk! Important stuff at the end though, so make sure ya read it! Sooo, review, favorite, alert, and ENJOY!! :D**

* * *

Ayame didn't dare eat the apples and peanut butter now…it was much too symbolic to her. After Hikaru and Kaoru, once again, proclaimed their love to her, she had a revelation. Ayame shook her head and then shoved her face in her pillow as she mumbled, "Stop it…don't think such things…"

But nothing could stop her from these thoughts now. After her revelation, Ayame couldn't stay there with the twins any longer. So, she instantly had gotten up, picked up her things, and fled the Hitachiin manor. However, in her frenzy, Ayame also ended up taking the bowl of apple slices and jar of peanut butter.

She was starting to get frustrated as she removed the pillow from her face and threw it at the opposite wall. Ayame sat up-right on her bed and buried her face in her hands this time and rubbed her temples.

Suddenly, the twins' faces flashed across her mind; they were smiling at her as they held their hands out for her to take, as if asking to go along with them. Ayame gasped and her eyes shot open, causing the scene to disappear from her mind. She bit her lip softly as she now stood up and glanced at her clock; 7.30.

Sighing deeply, Ayame went over to her desk where she had set the apples and peanut butter down. Her eyes narrowed as she un-did the top of the apple bowl, and then took out a slice. Ayame eyed the fruit carefully before taking a bite into it: it was crisp, sweet, and delicious. Of all fruits, apples had always been her favorite. And since they were so good for her, she could eat as much as she wanted. But even then, apples were always missing something…

Ayame then turned to the jar of peanut butter. Her eyes narrowed once again as she unscrewed the top of the jar and then dabbed her finger in it so she got a good amount of peanut butter on it. As she had with the apple, she eyed the light-brown colored substance carefully. Finally, she brought her finger to her mouth: it was _amazing_, smooth, and satisfied her senses. Peanut butter was always what Ayame craved when she really wanted a snack. Each taste always left her wanting more…even if it wasn't the best for her. However, it still was missing _something_…

This time, as Ayame reached for another apple slice, this time she dipped it into the peanut butter. And this time, Ayame didn't hesitate to bite into her creation. The second it hit her tongue, Ayame smiled; this taste did _marvelous_ things to her senses and it was absolutely perfect for her. Her two favorite foods in one were all she could ever ask for when she felt sad, angry, or depressed. No matter what the case was, peanut butter and apple slices together would always make her unconditionally happy.

Suddenly, Hikaru and Kaoru crossed her mind once again. Ayame nearly choked on her food, but recovered herself. Once she did, she brought a hand up to her mouth in shock of herself as she felt tears begin to form in her green eyes. She shook her head slowly as she stared at the floor blankly and she muffled into her hand, "I can't…I can't do this again… Please make it stop…" However, her mind betrayed her…

"_Why do you always go back home Ayame…?"_

Ayame cringed and fell to her knees, "St-Stop…"

"_Stay here with us Ayame-chan… Why won't you live with us…?"_

She felt a sob escape her throat as she choked out, "It's because I…"

"_But we love you more than he does…so much more…"_

Finally, Ayame felt tears streaming down her cheeks and she lay down on her stomach on the floor as she sobbed silently.

"I-It's because I still love you too…and it scares me so much…!"

-------------------------

Sundays….Ayame's new haven. Sunday meant no school, which meant no after-school idiocy with that Host Club…which meant no Hikaru and Kaoru.

Ayame wasn't sure if that was good or bad just yet.

Regardless, she wasn't going to waste her free Sunday. She grasped the opportunity to sleep in until 9.30, but then immediately showered, once again, after last night's routine events. By 11, she was dressed in fitted jeans that were a bit too long for her; an orange tanktop that clashed with her green eyes nicely; a blank spaghetti strap shirt over that, and then orange converse.

But wait…isn't Ayame a Hirano, partner to the Ootori's? Shouldn't she have an _image_ to keep up for their families? Well, as far as Ayame was concerned…she could care less about any of that business stuff. Better yet, she could care less about what people looked at her as a Hirano. Anything to make her father's life just _alittle_ difficult.

Ayame made her way to the dining room where, thankfully, her father wasn't. He must be with a client…good. Ayame smiled smally to herself as she made her way into the kitchen. A maid noticed her walk in and instantly bowed, "A-Ayame-sama… Good morning…! W-What can I make for you for breakfast…?" Ayame smiled a little wider, "No, that's alright. I was just going to grab a muffin."

She did just that and then bid her goodbyes to the maid. Ayame didn't really have much to do today. There were only two things on her list of things to do: visit her mother's grave and wander around the middle-class mall. She much preferred the middle-class mall to the upper-class one because it was so simple and…not fancy. Just the way she liked things. And, just to make things better, she decided to walk all around to her destinations.

So, Ayame took her iPod from her pocket, put the earbuds in her ears, and made her way to the front door as she searched for a song. Eventually, she chose the song "Speak of the Devil" by Sum 41.

**(A/N: This is a VERY important song for this **_**entire**_** story. I recommend you look up the lyrics and/or listen to it. See if you see anything familiar in them ;D Honorable mention to whoever figures it out and messages / reviews it first! ^^)**

As the song blasted in her ears, Ayame finally approached her front door. Just as she opened it, she felt something push against her lower neck. Her eyes widened when she saw an arm, or rather _two_ arms, extended out towards her. However, one of their hand's knuckles rested against her neck.

There was a long, awkward silence until Ayame actually looked at the owners of the arms: Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin…of course. And Hikaru Hitachiin was the one whose hand was at her neck.

That simple statement in her mind, 'hand at her neck', caused Ayame to gasp slightly and jump backwards away from the twins. The twins blinked and lowered their arms finally and chimed, "Well…we didn't expect to see you here." That caused Ayame to grow agitated as she narrowed her eyes, "_I_ was unexpected?! This is _my_ house! _You_ are the ones who do not belong here!"

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other and then looked back at Ayame, "We meant that we didn't expect you to be at the door just as we were knocking…" Ayame bit her lip and slowly began to flush red in the face, "O-Oh…" Another awkward silence…until Kaoru spoke, "Were you going somewhere Ayame-chan?" She didn't hesitate to answer, "Yes, I was. So, if you two will…" Hikaru cut her off, "Good, we'll go with you."

Ayame flushed harder and exclaimed, "N-No…!" The two identical boys gave Ayame surprised looks, causing Ayame to flush even deeper as she absentmindedly took her earbuds out and put them in her pocket, "…I wanted to be go alone." The twins frowned as they chimed, "Where were you going?" She didn't want to tell them, but at the same time…she really wanted their company.

Once again, her thoughts frightened her, but she bit her lip to stop herself from reacting externally. After she composed herself, Ayame whispered, "I was going to my mother's grave…and then possibly the middle-class mall a few blocks away from the cemetery…" This instantly excited the twins, "A commoner's mall! We're definitely coming them!"

Ayame stared at the ground intently, trying to find a way out. This revelation of hers wasn't exactly doing her any good. This was just bad now… Spending this much time with the ones that she realized she was still in love with was _unacceptable_. She knew…she knew that sometime, these two males will turn on her…use her…torture her…

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at Ayame as she seemed to be thinking hard. However, they weren't going to give her the chance. Any moment they could seize, they were going to spend it with their best friend. They would _force_ her if they had to; they were absolutely _desperate_ to be with her again…spend time with her again…

They were both in love with her, and they would do anything to be by her side always and protect her.

Finally, the twins got tired of waiting, so they just got closer to Ayame and each took one of her hands. Ayame snapped out of her thoughts and was now a dark maroon, "Wh-What are you doing…?!" The identical boys grinned behind their back at Ayame as they pulled her lightly towards their limo, "We have a busy day ahead of us Ayame and we can't do anything with you just standing there!"

Ayame _attempted_ to pull away, but barely tried at all. She didn't trust these two…and she didn't trust herself as well. She didn't trust herself trusting them. What if, in today's later events, she _did_ end up trusting them like she had when they were little? What if they turned on her like her father had turned on her? She couldn't _stand_ if that were to happen again...especially if it was caused by yet more people she had trusted and loved.

…But she still wanted their company. She wanted to have the old times back again, the times where the three of them would laugh together, play together, and just be happy together. It was like this was _all_ she wanted now. The only things that could fulfill her emotions were these two boys she had loved, and still loved, as kids.

It was all so frustrated and Ayame wanted to scream. However, as she somehow got sat between Hikaru and Kaoru in their limo, she didn't make a sound. She didn't looked anywhere else than her feet. In fact, nobody made a sound. Instead, the boys kept a watchful eye on their dearest friend, as if ensuring themselves that she wouldn't go anywhere.

After a few minutes of this, the limo arrived at the cemetery. The three teens exited the vehicle and then the two boys followed Ayame into the site, since she was the only one of them who actually knew where her mother was buried. The walk was silent too, except this time it was more eerie since they were surrounded by what felt like hundreds of invisible people watching them.

Finally, Ayame stopped at her mother's grave site, where plentiful orange blossoms and light blue tulips were planted. Hikaru and Kaoru shifted uneasily; orange and light blue were their host rose colors. The twins gulped softly and then whispered, "Did your mother like orange blossoms and tulips…?"

Ayame sat down on her legs in front of the grave and bowed her head as she whispered, "Well...her favorite colors were orange and light blue. It just happened that these were the flowers we chose…" Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged a strange look before finally each of them going on either side of Ayame and sitting on their legs as well. Each teen prayed for Yuna Hirano.

Ayame bit her lip to prevent herself from crying. _"Please continue to protect me as much as you can from Heaven Mother…"_

Hikaru's eyes tensed slightly. _"I'll protect Ayame for you Yuna-chan…I promise…"_

Kaoru gulped softly. _"I will do anything for Ayame Yuna-chan…don't worry…"_

After a few moments, Ayame was the first to open her eyes and stand up again, "I-I can't stay here any longer…" Hikaru and Kaoru stood up as well and nodded in understanding, "Of course Ayame-chan…" Suddenly, their expressions turned cheerful, "To the commoner's mall we go!" Ayame stared between the two boys for a moment before shrugging, "I guess so… I was looking forward to some time alone though…"

The twins frowned and both reached out for one of Ayame's hands once again, "You're always alone Ayame-chan." Hikaru smirked, "Sometimes its better to be around people anyway." Kaoru smiled, "Besides, we would never pass up a chance to be with you." As they began to pull her lightly out of the cemetery, they chimed, "You're our best friend and we want to be with you all the time…"

Ayame's face flushed and she didn't even bother fighting back this time. Everything that they said made her want to be with them as well… The way they called her their best friend, the way they casually say they love her, the way they hold her hands softly and kindly…

She cringed and flushed even darker. She looked at her hands and finally noticed that the twins managed to lace their fingers with hers. Such an innocent act was driving Ayame crazy. She couldn't be with them like this and _not_ admit that she still loved these two boys…

…But she _couldn't_…! This was simply unacceptable…! Her life wasn't some fairytale like in the many she has read in her life time; nobody was going to come save her from her prison keeper. _Love_ was not going to save her…it was only going to hurt her in the end.

In the beginning of her life, Ayame truly had admired her father. Hell, she _loved_ him like any daughter should love her father. But _his_ love grew out of control, and that admiration and love for her father was what broke her from the inside, out. Who is to say the same won't happen with these Hitachiins??

It can't be avoided any longer: Ayame was in love with Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. They were so careful and wonderful to her. A smile on their faces was all she needed to feel just alittle secure. These two hadn't changed in the slightest since they were kids.

Kaoru was sweet, kind, and would always choose what was best for her. Hikaru was much more forceful than his brother, but that was what made Ayame feel protected around him. He would do anything to make her happy, even if it be ridiculous.

They were both amazing individuals…but having them together was what made Ayame at her happiest. Those three had a bond that could never break. Ayame even _tried_ to break those bonds, but even after 10 years, they remained the same. Ayame was still in love with them, and they with her. Nothing changed.

Except it wasn't that easy. The boys could still _change_. They would turn on her, just as her father had. They'd bring their _"love"_ to a forbidden level, and break her even more than she already was. That's just the way it happened; that's just the way males were.

Ayame's thoughts were going wild, and it all piled into her mind in only a few short seconds. It was growing to be too much for her. Love…hate…trust…fear… It didn't stop. It was all so confusing, and the feeling of Hikaru and Kaoru's delicate skin between her fingers wasn't making it any better.

Finally, it _was_ too much to bear. Ayame's vision faded to black and her mind went blank.

* * *

**Yeah...I went there. xP Was this good?? I reallyy wanted to get Ayame's deep thoughts, and to get that through 3rd person was...hard. xD I hope I did good... ^^''**

**NOW... Did you see the author's note halfway-ish through? If not...GO BACK AND READ YOU EVIL READER!! xD So, yes honorable mention to whoever actually gets it right. You must be the first to message / review as to the familiar thing in the song lyrics to get the honorable mention... ;D**

**ALSO...as you read, you saw I made a big deal with the apples and peanut butter right? Well, it's actually very symbolic...in case I didn't make it obvious enough... So, I am giving out ANOTHER honorable mention to whoever messages / reviews first as to WHAT the food symbolizes. You must be as SPECIFIC as possible... . (HINT: Food is to people...two foods so......)**

**Heh heh...I love games and contests... OK ENOUGH OF THIS! xD I hope you all enjoyed! I don't know when the next chapter will be up...I kinda has some writer's block D: Regardless, review and all that! GOOD LUCK WITH MY MINI-CONTEST! :D**


	13. Innocent

**Well everyone, I don't know what to say except....I'M SO SORRY!!! D: It's been, what, 8 months since my last update? Oh man...I am a horrible person B-But, I'm here now right?? =/ **

**Well, in these past 8 months, alott has happened. In case some of you didn't know, I'm a senior in high school now. So I was all caught up in school, college stuff, homework...it was so gross. But it all paid off because I got into college!! WOOO! :D So with that, I was kinda able to buckle down and chill. Unfortunately, I still had writer's block from last time... But I had a huge breakthrough this week so I'm ready to start updating again! YAYYYY!!**

**...That's enough of that for now! I'll continue my rant at the end. Now, please enjoy this new, sadly-short update! :D**

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Ayame's eyes fluttered open slowly, her vision kind of hazy. She sat upright and rubbed her eyes roughly as she mumbled to herself, "What a crappy day…w-wait…" Ayame removed her hands from her eyes and looked at her surroundings.

The room she was in was not familiar in the slightest. The walls were a dark maroon and…um… Ayame gaped her mouth open, "Th-There's no door…and no windows…! What is this!?" Looking around more, she found a tall lamp in one corner of the room…but that was it.

Looking down, Ayame noticed she was sitting on a rather large bed with white, silk sheets. However, Ayame then looked at herself and gasped, "What the_ hell_ am I wearing!?!" Somehow, she was now wearing a white, silk slip that fell a bit too high on her thigh.

Ayame pulled at the slip to try and cover more of her skin as she got uncomfortable with herself. Suddenly, from behind her, she heard two identical voices, "Why don't you lie back down Aya-chan…?"

Ayame quickly turned a dark red as she instantly recognized the voices. She turned around completely to see Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin lying down with an empty space between then…possibly from where Ayame must have awoken.

However, as Ayame looked at them more, she couldn't help but flush even deeper. The two boys were dressed in black boxers…and nothing else. Ayame quickly held her hands to her eyes as she stuttered, "Wh-Wh-What are you two _doing_…?!" Then, she felt her hands get lightly lowered from her face.

Before she could react, Ayame felt the twins on either side of her, their foreheads at her temples. She went to speak, but Hikaru beat her to it as he whispered softly in her ear, "You sure are acting strange tonight Aya-chan." Ayame gulped quietly as Kaoru mimicked his brother, "Your face is redder than usual…do you have a fever possibly?"

Then, the boys both kissed her temples, then down her cheek, then to her neck.

With each passing brushing of their lips, Ayame shuddered a bit more. But the thing was that…that wasn't a bad thing. As Hikaru and Kaoru finally got to her shoulders, they also both grabbed either of Ayame's hands and laced their fingers together. Suddenly, a moan escaped her mouth and Ayame instantly bit her lip in shock of herself.

She liked this…a lot.

Although frighteningly similar, these actions were very different than what her father did to her. The sensation she was currently feeling had nothing negative about it. In fact, she wanted more than this; she didn't want it to ever stop.

The boys smirked slightly into Ayame's shoulders after her response before and chimed, "There…that's the Aya-chan we know and love…"

Then, she felt the twins both go back to kissing her cheeks, but then starting going towards her lips. Ayame's eyes widened in surprise; she (technically…) has never kissed anyone before…

However, before any contact was made, the boys stopped, raised their lips from her skin, and then smirked at each other. Hikaru spoke first, "Little brother, I believe it is my turn to kiss Aya-chan first…" Kaoru pouted, "Indeed it is… How lucky you are, Hikaru…" Ayame's mouth gaped open slightly; there was…a system to this…?

She managed to get her voice out as Kaoru went behind her and traced his lips along her shoulders, "Th-This is impossible…! I-I've never even kissed either of…" Ayame was cut off by Hikaru gliding his index finger along her jaw line, "There you go again Aya-chan, acting all innocent and such. Isn't she just adorable Kaoru?" Ayame could feel Kaoru's smile against her skin, "Acting like she's never done anything…of course she is Hikaru."

Then, the twins chimed softly, "Your act just makes this all the more enjoyable Aya-chan…" Ayame flushed deeply, but narrowed her eyes slightly, "Act…? But I'm not..!"

Suddenly, Hikaru's lips were on hers and her mind went blank.

Even if she wanted to react, she didn't get the chance to as Hikaru disconnected them. And once again, she was given no chance to react as Kaoru was suddenly in front of her, their lips now connected.

As Kaoru then also backed away slowly, Ayame managed to hear another voice in the room through her swooning mind, "Yes…very good job Aya-chan."

The voice made Ayame's skin crawl; she turned around again to face the whole room. There was still no door, still no windows…but in place of the lamp that was in the corner…was now her father, standing behind a video camera on a tripod.

Ayame gulped hard and she absentmindedly crossed her arms over the nearly-exposed chest, "What…what's going on??" Instead of getting answers, Ayame felt the Hitachiins take either of her arms and help guide her to lying down, "Just lie down Aya-chan…don't worry about anything…"

Ayame went to sit up and retort, but Hikaru and Kaoru each held one of her hands down in a slight-forceful manner, then put their other hands on either of her knees. She then could feel those hands slowly start tracing up her thigh. Ayame bit her lip to stop herself from reacting externally.

But internally, she was going insane. Though she didn't want to admit it, Ayame was loving this feeling going through her.

She almost forgot exactly what her situation was…that is, until she managed to hear the silent, sinister laughter of her father.

Ayame snapped out of her trance and went to look at her father in the corner of the room, but instead found that he was right at the foot of the bed…still with the camera, pointed right at her, the red-recording light flashing.

Ayame's eyes clamped shut as tears started to form, "St-Stop…please…" She heard the twins' voices quietly in her ears, "We won't ever stop Aya-chan…we love you too much..." Ayame could feel their hands growing nearer to upper thigh. As they did get closer, she couldn't help but continue to love the feeling.

But then she heard the laugh again…and she opened her eyes, only to lock them with her own flesh and blood. In an instant, she was scared to death.

She closed her eyes tightly again, trying to make her mind go anywhere but there. But then, she felt two smooth, delicate hands make their way under her silk slip. In a split second, Ayame's heart beat accelerated, causing her to gasp suddenly and, on reflex, her eyes shot open and she sat up.

However, sunlight greeted her eyes and she was blinded by light. On reflex, she lifted her arm to block her eyes. After a few moments, when nothing seemed to happen, Ayame lowered her arm.

Everything was different…

She was now in a room with pale green walls…with a door _and_ large windows, along with several posters, pictures, and furniture along the walls.

Ayame, already completely confused, looked down and saw that the bed remained the same, but she was now wearing her normal clothes from earlier: orange and black top, jeans, and converse.

Looking around more, she found that Hikaru, Kaoru, or her father were anywhere to be seen. And although the room was still unfamiliar to her, Ayame was utterly relieved. She brought her legs to her torso, hugged her legs, and leaned her head on her knees and exhaled deeply.

"It was just a dream…"

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**OH SNAP I DID JUST GO THERE AGAIN! MUAHAHA!! Haha, but was this worth the wait?? I hope so T-T At least you guys can look forward to...not-8 month gap updates hehe... **

**Oh yeah, I know there was the whole contest type things in my last update, and I _do_ have the winners...but just not handy at the moment. I'll hopefully do those honorable mentions I promised in the next chapter. **

**Sooo, I guess that's it! And I PROMISE I'll start on chapter 14 IMMEDIATELY! ^^ I'm just so glad that people were still reading this story over the past 8 months...that really means alot. I hope you all don't hate me too much D: **

**You know the drill guys! Review, favorite, whatever! Trust me, I take everything you guys say to heart...your feedback means so much to me :3**


	14. Dream

**This chapter is late and short, and I apologize immensely. However, I have a feeling you all will love this chapter and forgive me. ;D Please enjoy this _ver_y late addition for now though!**

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Once she calmed herself down from her "interesting" dream, Ayame finally took the time to check out her surroundings more. The room was _definitely_ unfamiliar. So…why the heck was she in it?

She wasn't going to stick around to find out; she quickly got out of the strange bed and high-tailed it out of there. As she was determining which way to turn through the countless hallways, at one point Ayame stopped in her tracks when she passed one specific hallway.

Ayame stared down the hallway, trying to figure out _why_ it was so familiar… Suddenly, an image flashed before her eyes. She could have _sworn_ she saw the six-year-old versions of her, Hikaru, and Kaoru. Ayame watched in shock as she _actually_ heard these images talking.

The three kids were all on their stomachs, in a triangular formation with each other, and they seemed to be drawing or something. "Ayame" smiled at the two brothers, "Hey guys, what're you drawing?"

"Hikaru" grinned and showed his paper, "I drew me and you, Aya-chan! We're on a roller coaster in the front row! Haha, look; you're holding onto my arm!" "Ayame" giggled as "Kaoru" glared at his twin, "Well _I_ drew me and Aya-chan on a small boat in a lake! Isn't it pretty, Aya-chan? These are some sakura flowers…"

Ayame could easily tell how happy her psychopathic-image-self was; there was no doubt about that. She watched as "Ayame" now held up her drawing, "Oh guys… Well, _I_ drew us three in a house together as seventeen-year-olds, because we're all gonna live with each other when we grow up…"

She flashed a smile, "Right?" Ayame felt something squeeze in her chest and suddenly the images were gone. She shook her head, trying to shake out our insanity, and then clutched her chest. She definitely knew where she was now.

She was in Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin's house…

Ayame groaned softly as she started talking to herself, "Let's see… I left my house this morning…Hikaru and Kaoru joined me in visiting Mother's grave…then…then…"

"And then you passed out on our way to the commoners' mall."

Ayame jumped at the sudden voices and turned around to see none other than the Hitachiin twins… She shook her head again, "I…passed out? Why…?" Hikaru shrugged, "We wish we knew." Kaoru frowned and crossed his arms loosely, "We were really worried about you Aya-chan…"

After taking another moment to process her thoughts, Ayame blinked in confusion, "You guys…brought me to your house after I passed out…?" The two boys nodded unsurely and Ayame suddenly grew defensive, "Wh-What did you do to me while I was unconscious?"

The possibilities of what could have happened went wild in Ayame's head and she could feel her eyes start to water. She finally accepts that she was in love with these two boys, and they possibly…?  
After realizing what Ayame meant, Hikaru and Kaoru were instantly tense as they chimed, "Of _course_ we didn't Aya-chan! You know that we wouldn't!" The girl gulped and took several steps backwards, "I-I _don't_ know that! I knew it…I _knew_ I should have _never_ trusted you!"

She went to turn around and run down the hallway, but the boys got to her first and each took a hold on either of her arms. Ayame began to resist against them, her heartbeat going abnormal, "L-Let go of me, or I'll scream…!" Kaoru felt as if he would start crying, "St-Stop Aya-chan, please…!" Hikaru bit his lip roughly, "We just want to help you!"

Ayame's eyes shut tightly as she tried to be anywhere else but there, "I-I don't _want_ you help…! I…I hate you both! Do you hear me, I _hate_ you!"

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest; she knew she was lying to herself…of _course_ she didn't hate them. She just wanted to get away from them as quickly as possible before anyone else would get hurt…

The twins knew she was lying, too, as they chimed softly, "Stop lying to yourself Ayame…" Ayame's eyes snapped open as she stared at the floor; well _that_ was rather conceited of them to say…

"I-I'm not lying…! I truly, _truly_ ha—"

"Do you forget you talk in your sleep?"

Ayame instantly flushed a dark red; she _did_ have a habit of sleep-talking… What could she have possibly said? The twins loosened their grip on their friend's arms, but still held onto her.

Hikaru spoke first, "You said that you were in _love_ with us…"

"…and that you never stopped loving us since we were young."

If it was possible, Ayame flushed an even darker red; if there was anybody she hated there, it would probably be herself.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other and smirked slightly. Kaoru nodded, "I believe our promise was that the oldest got to do it first…" Hikaru nodded in return, "Indeed that was the deal."

Ayame blinked in confusion; what were they _talking_ about? She lifted her head to see what was going on, but then her eyes grew wide and her heartbeat stopped completely.

She could feel her cheeks burning the reddest she thinks they've ever been.

In front of her now was most likely Hikaru (she just knew it), and his hand was still loosely around her upper arm. But now…

Now, he stood before her, almost an entire head taller, and leaned down…closer…

And his lips now lightly covered hers.

Ayame couldn't believe it; it was her dream all over again. In fact, she was exactly 87% sure that this was _still_ her dream. She wanted to wake up. Now. She didn't want to be tortured by her dreams any longer.

However, when she felt Hikaru squeeze her arm slightly and pull her a bit closer to him, she was sure it wasn't a dream. The feelings on her arm and lips were incredibly real.

Suddenly, she was elated. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt as if her dreams were coming true; a Hitachiin twin, someone who she _actually_ loved, was kissing her. But in another part of her mind, she felt as if something was missing…

Then, to her dismay, Hikaru disconnected their lips and went back to the side of her, his hand still holding her arm. Before she could speak, Kaoru was now in front of her. He looked down at her and looked her straight in the eyes. He smiled softly and Ayame instantly blushed again.

Kaoru then leaned down and took his turn to lightly place his lips on hers.

There...right there; that's what Ayame felt was missing before…the other half. It was incredibly selfish of her, to achingly want both halves at the same time…but at the moment, she didn't really care.

After a few seconds, she felt Kaoru bring his free hand up to her cheek for a moment, but then slide his hand over onto the back of her neck and lightly pull her closer to him.

Suddenly, Ayame felt something inside her snap. She did something she never thought she ever would.

She brought up her hands to her chest, hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed onto the front of Kaoru's shirt, startling him slightly. He expected her to push him away from her and that idea made him feel his heart ripping in his chest.

However, instead, he felt his friend pull him closer to her.

And she kissed him back…

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**Oh my gawd...CLIFFHANGER! MUAHAHA! :D For the record, I'm not trying to infer by the ending that Ayame likes Kaoru more than Hikaru...that's not the case at all. You all must keep in mind that having a story where one character ends up with _two_ love interests is quite difficult to express... But I'm up for the challenge! The next chapter may get (kinda-sorta) hot and heavy...but not muchh. Not yet at least... :O Haha, anyway, please review and tell me your thoughts on this! I appreciate everyone putting up with me and my late-ness. I won't make any promises for my next update because we all know I won't abide to it :P Regardless, make sure you tell me your feedback and what-not...and I'll see you next chapter! =]**


	15. NOT AN UPDATE BUT PLEASE READ

***This note is EXCEPTIONALLY important, so please read all of it. Thank you!***

...Well...this is awkward...

I'm soooo sorry guys. I'm so bad at this whole updating thing, I know. But I'm finally on winter break from college and I've only now been able to sit down and write this author's note. And even over the summer I was working so much that I barely had time to breathe.

To start, I'd like to thank everybody who has continuously been reviewing, favoriting, and alerting my stories. This account is jointed with my core email, so every time someone does one of these things, I will undoubtedly see it.

And it really does brighten my day, every time. Some people have written such beautiful reviews that I honestly was considering dropping all of my school work and essays to just continue with my leisure writing. Alas...I have a GPA to maintain. So thank you to all of you, really. You have no idea how much what you say affects me.

But on a heavier note...I'm not going to lie to any of you. I am going to use this note to update all of my stories, but the same news affects them all: I am at a complete dead-end with my stories. I mean, I know exactly where I want everything to go, but I just...can't bring myself to segway my conclusions with multiple chapters. I just don't have the mentality or time to do it.

In addition, I'm working on two or three other stories that I am much more serious about...mostly one, in particular. So serious that I am considering talking to an editor of some sort if/when I get around to finishing it. But, before I do that, I'm going to upload what I have no far onto for other people's opinions. I'm going to do this in a couple days, since I only today have made an account there. So, if you guys like me at all as a writer/person, I would appreciate if you would check it out. Since it is not yet released, if you are seriously interested, please PM me or say in your review that you are interested and I will reply to you with the link to the story when it is uploaded.

So, at the end of the day, I guess what I'm trying to say is that...my stories will be discontinued. However, this decision is not _final_. Another option I am considering is writing one last chapter for each story, explaining, as the author, where I intended to go with each piece of writing. I am leaning more towards the latter.

I couldn't just...leave all of my dedicated readers hanging. And I certainly don't want to leave myself hanging. At some point in time, these stories meant the world to me. They kept me _sane_. Perhaps I've grown up from them...or perhaps I just have a serious case of writer's block that cannot be remedied. xD

...I guess that's it. Please review or PM me or whatever to let me know your opinions on all of this. If you're angry, let me know you're angry (but please be gentle, haha...) and if you're happy, sad, confused, etc...please let me know that as well. As I said, your words mean everything to me. There is still hope for these stories. Please don't give up on me...

Until next time, my friends.

-Skye


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